


Legend: Book Two

by Stormlight (Quickening)



Series: Legend [2]
Category: Fushigi Yuugi
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2018-09-01 14:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8628577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickening/pseuds/Stormlight
Summary: KC has made it home, but she won't be staying long. Things are going well and, by some twist of fate, she even managed to avoid her biggest problem: explaining where she's been all this time. Too bad she's got even bigger problems heading her way. Sigh.





	1. Reasserting Reality

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to some lovely recent reviews, I've been inspired to blow the dust off this ancient story and work on it again. Please note that I've completely gone through book one and re-edited and revised a bit in order to fix some plot discrepancies between the start of book one and the start of book two. Not necessary to reread the first book, though, so you won't miss anything new.

   KC regained consciousness by slow degrees. A familiar, musty smell of dust, mildew, and ancient books permeated the air and threatened to make her sneeze. When she opened her eyes, she found herself sprawled uncomfortably on the hard, rough surface of a concrete floor. Her face felt wet and she reached up to wipe her cheek, discovered with embarrassment that she'd been drooling. "Urgh. What a headache," she grumbled as she stiffly sat up.

   That was when reality finally reasserted itself, all of her discomfort instantly forgotten as she realized where she was. She was back! She'd actually made it home! She allowed herself a very girlish squeal and a full-body wriggle, kicking the floor excitedly for a few moments. The library basement was a welcome sight, and she heaved a sigh of relief that she had gotten back to the right place. To her surprise, both of the heavy books she'd pulled off the shelf with _The Universe of the Four Gods_ still lay on the floor where she'd left them. The small red book lay open, and she cautiously nudged it closed with her foot, not willing to chance any more surprise trips to the past just yet.

   "Doesn't anybody ever pick up around this place?" she griped as she re-shelved the two thick volumes. She reached for _The Universe of the Four Gods_ , then hesitated. She didn't really want to let the book out of her sight. She debated with herself for a moment. For one thing, who knew if she'd be able to gain access to the basement again once she left it. For another, if _she'd_ found it, who was to say someone else wouldn't stumble across it, as well? By the looks of the place, people didn't come into the room very often, but was she willing to chance the book disappearing on her?

   Then again, would it really be a horrible thing if it _did_?

   Not for the first time, the small, traitorous thought slipped into her mind. An idea that she could just slide the book on its shelf and leave the room and never look back again. Nobody would ever have to know. She clenched her fists and gave herself a stern mental shake. But _she_ would know. And the people who waited for her in that other world, the ones she called friends, would also know. And no doubt they would hate her once they realized she was never coming back.

   Right. That's it. KC nodded to herself with newfound resolution. The book would just have to come with her. She looked around until she located her backpack, propped against the shelves a few feet away. Relieved to see that it had once again safely made the trip with her (No chance of recovery if it ever fell into the Twilight Zone), she pulled it to her side and opened it. There was barely any room inside the overstuffed bag, what with everything else she had crammed in it. Her textbooks, her purse, and other personal belongings. A few small trinkets from Konan. She managed to rearrange things enough to slip the book between the pages of her water-stained sketchbook, making sure it was well-hidden from potential view.

   She paused and shook her head. "Fantastic," she snorted. "I've stooped to stealing a dusty old book out of a library. What an impressive start to my life of crime."

   Everything seemed in order. She slung the pack over her shoulder and headed for the door, already thinking up potential excuses to explain away her long absence. She knew she'd never get away with waltzing into her house after a month as if she'd just come home from the mall or something. Her mom would be frantic. There might be police there. Or reporters.

   Or maybe nobody, because everyone thought she was dead and had moved on with their lives.

   She grimaced and gave herself another shake to shed that particular idea from her brain. She wasn't dead. She was back. And she was gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do once everyone figured out those two facts. She didn't even know what to say that wouldn't make her sound like a complete loony. Maybe it would be best to just claim amnesia about the whole experience since any other excuse would probably earn her a one-way ticket to the nearest padded room and a fashionable I-love-me jacket.

   She saw her coat draped over the back of a chair and snatched it up as she passed … and abruptly froze in her tracks. She gaped down at the garment in her hands. Her coat. Still slung over the back of the chair. _Exactly_ the way she'd left it. As if it had never been touched. Her confusion grew, taking form in an inarticulate, "Whu—?"

   Something was seriously … _off_ about this. First those old books, still on the floor. Now her coat, still over the chair. It was right in front of the door, no way anyone could have missed it coming in or out. If they knew it was hers, they'd have taken it for evidence or something, wouldn't they? Had anyone been in the room at _all_ since she disappeared? Her mutilated corpse could be rotting down there, for all they knew!

   More than a little mystified, KC hurried through the creepy part of the basement and snuck up the stairs to the first floor, trying to avoid any noise. She cracked open the door, relieved to see the overhead lights were still on. It meant the library was still open, which meant she could sneak out without looking _too_ suspicious. She crept out of the stairwell and shut and locked the door behind her, then tiptoed her way through the stacks until she could see the huge, ancient grandfather clock that guarded the main doors. It read four-forty-five; fifteen minutes before closing. She could see through the glass doors that it had grown dark outside, settling into winter twilight.

   She heard somebody whistling, but before she could hide, Charley turned the corner, in the midst of making his rounds. His flashlight swung idly from one hand as he paused to offer a friendly smile. "Afternoon, KC," he greeted, tipped his security guard cap politely before moving on. "Merry Christmas!" he called over his shoulder as he turned a corner.

   KC gaped at his retreating back. "M-Merry … _Christmas_?" she repeated dumbly as she slowly turned and headed for the librarian's desk. Mrs. Potter wasn't there, but that wasn't unusual. She only worked a few days a week. Cathy Franks must be the attending librarian today. _She_ generally spent more time in the stacks, making out with her boyfriend or texting on her phone, than she did at her actual job. That was fine with KC. It meant she could put the keys back and sneak out without anyone asking a lot of nosy questions. She slipped behind the desk and opened the drawer to drop the keys inside. And that was when she noticed the one-a-day calendar sitting atop the box-like computer monitor.

   She froze. Blinked, rubbed her eyes repeatedly and looked again. The date continued to read Tuesday, December 23. Exactly the same day as when she'd left.

   "What is going _on_ here?" She slammed the drawer shut and jumped at the resulting bang, cringed and nearly bolted for the front exit before anyone came looking to see what the racket was about. She burst through the front doors into the … _really frigid_ winter air. It hit her like a sack of needles and drove a flurry of snowflakes right into her face. " _Cold!_ " she yelped as she cringed back into the doorway and hastily donned her coat. After spending so much time in the tropical-like Konan, she had almost forgotten it was still mid-winter in her own world. Now she nearly regretted coming home as she hunched her shoulders against the chill wind and made her way to the nearest bus stop. She _really_ hated the cold.

* * *

   On the short walk from the bus stop to her house, KC pondered her odd dilemma. By her calculations, she'd spent nearly a month in Konan, but barely _two hours_ had passed in her own world since she'd been gone. How was that even _possible_? Unless Taiitsukun had used some kind of time-travel trick to send her back to right after she'd left.

   That made as much sense as anything, she supposed, but wasn't it a bit dangerous? What if Taiitsukun accidentally sent her back to _before_ she'd actually left and she ended up running into herself? According to almost every sci-fi movie she'd ever watched, couldn't that cause some sort of implosion in the space/time continuum and completely alter the universe as she knew it? Plus, she'd like cease to exist or something.

   Of course, maybe that _couldn't_ happen, because it already _would_ have. She would've already seen herself before she'd left and would've imploded or … something. Which meant Konan never would've happened and _now_ she was giving herself a headache. KC grimaced and rubbed her forehead. How did Kimiko always _think_ like this without her _brain_ imploding?

   At that moment, KC's house came into view and all thoughts of sci-fi and time travel and imploding realities vanished as she gave a little squeal and broke into a sprint. She suppressed the sudden urge to hug the house mostly because she'd never get her arms around it. Plus, the neighbors would look at her funny. She skipped up the narrow path to her front door with its decorative, obligatory Christmas wreath that looked as if it had seen better days a few decades ago, unable to keep the huge grin off her face as she threw it open and bounced over the threshold with a resounding shout of, "I'm home!"

   Of course, nobody answered her; it was only five-thirty and her mom wouldn't be home from work until seven, at least. Still, it just felt so good to _say_ that again.

   When she pounded up the stairs she made as much noise as possible, flipped every light switch she passed (because she knew her mother hated it) and threw open the door to her bedroom. She opened her pack and pulled _The_ _Universe of the Four Gods_ from its hiding place, tossed it carelessly onto the desk. Just for extra measure, she tossed her jacket over it and knocked a metal pencil holder off the desk. It landed on the floor, spilling its contents across the worn carpet. She left it there and with one leap sprawled across her bed with its squeaky hinges and the moth-eaten Holly Hobby comforter she _refused_ to throw away just because it was an antique. She clutched a bedraggled Cabbage Patch Kid that had seen its share of too many haircuts to her chest, and simply laid on her back and closed her eyes, breathed in deeply the familiar smell of her own room.

   "I'm home," she whispered, hardly able to believe it, and she could feel hot tears squeeze at the back of her eyes. She kissed the dirty-faced doll and shoved it back in its place of honor—down between the bed and the wall—then sat up and looked around. Everything was exactly where she'd left it that morning so long ago, as if she'd never disappeared in the first place. The unicorn calendar on her wall was still on the December page, with every day up to the twenty-third marked off in varying colors of ink. No matter how hard it was to believe, it all suggested that she really had only been missing for a little while, and nobody would ever need to know she'd been gone at all. It suddenly made the thought of leaving again much easier to bear. If Taiitsukun or Suzaku could manipulate time itself, then she could go do what needed doing and take as much time as she needed to do it. And nobody would ever be the wiser.

   A loud, low growl filled the silent room, and she giggled at herself and crossed her arms over her grumbling stomach. She was _starving_. _Jet lag's got_ nothin' _on time-travel,_ she thought with a grin as she bounced off her bed and headed down the stairs. She paused to examine the plastic Christmas tree that sat in the corner of the living room. It, too, looked a little worn around the edges, with a few missing limbs and ornaments that were probably older than her. She'd always thought it was kind of ugly, especially compared to the elegantly decorated trees displayed in store windows and her friends' living rooms.

   Right now, she thought it was the most beautiful tree she'd ever seen.

   The realization that she had somehow made it home in time to celebrate Christmas cheered her immensely. She plugged in the tree's colorful lights and helped herself to a candy cane, sucked on the peppermint as she headed to the kitchen for her favorite comfort food; a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato and ham and a steaming bowl of homemade clam chowder.

   She found a note taped to the refrigerator door. When she read it, her good mood soured somewhat. Her mother wouldn't be home until late again. Another crisis at work that she had to handle right away, and she was sorry, but she would be home tomorrow to celebrate Christmas Eve.

   "Promises, promises," KC grumbled as she grabbed the ham and slammed the door. The disappointment she felt over the news was acute. She tried not to let it get to her; after all, it wouldn't be the first time her mom had pulled all-nighters. To everyone else, it was business as usual, but it had been _ages_ since she'd seen her mom and all she wanted was throw her arms around her and hold on tight.

   "I swear, for as much as her boss keeps depending on her to do all his work for him, _she's_ the one who should be running the place!" she told the lunchmeat conspiratorially.

   She made an extra sandwich and another bowl of soup, covered each with plastic wrap and stuck them back in the fridge. Her mom would probably be hungry when she got home. Carrying her food to the living room, she sat cross-legged on the floor between the coffee table and the couch and flipped on the television for some mindless channel surfing. White Christmas came on, right at her favorite part near the end with everyone singing the title song and dancing in their beautiful costumes, so she sat back to enjoy the show. "Man, I missed this," she sighed. She ate her sandwich and relished the peace and quiet and took comfort in the fact that she no longer needed to worry about never seeing home again.

* * *

   She woke up two hours later with a stiff neck and a headache, her head cocked at an uncomfortable angle against the seat cushion behind her. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer pranced about on the TV, and she carefully rubbed the kink out of her neck and scrubbed at her gritty eyes. Something had woken her; she thought it might have been the phone. The answering machine light blinked, so she pushed the button, hoping her mom had called to say she'd be home soon. Instead, Brady's annoyed voice crackled over the speaker. "So, like, remember our plans to meet at the food court after you got all your research stuff done at the library? I hope you've got a good excuse for standing Kimi and me up, 'cause we waited for like an _hour_ and you never showed! And when I say 'good excuse', I'm talking about being dead or kidnapped by aliens or some shit like that. Oh, yeah. And _buy a friggin cell phone_ already! What are you, six? No, 'cause even six-year-olds have phones these days! Okay, call me back. Bye!"

   KC snorted and dialed Brady's cell. She picked up on the third ring. "Okay, so what happened?"

   "I found this old Chinese book in the library and got sucked into an alternate dimension through it," KC replied in her most somber voice. "I lived there for about a month before they managed to send me home and I kind of forgot all about the mall. Sorry about that."

   A long silence on the other end answered her. "You _do_ realize the whole kidnapped-by-aliens excuse was a joke, right?"

   KC grinned. "Sure, but you never said anything about a giant flaming peacock."

   "Okay, what have _you_ been smoking? Got any left?"

   She laughed. "I am sorry. I'll make it up to you."

   "You better! Listen, I gotta go. My house is a _zoo_. All my relatives decided they're coming _here_ for Christmas. Of course, nobody bothered to tell _me_ , right? _And_ my little sister's here."

   KC blinked. "I thought she was visiting your dad this year."

   "So did I. Apparently there's some sort of flu epidemic in his household so the trip got postponed until the New Year or something. In the meantime, I get to listen to the constant whining about how her Christmas vacation is _absolutely ruined_ and how she'll _never_ live it down after bragging to _all_ her friends that she was gonna spend it in Los Angeles. I swear she's _such_ a drama queen!"

   "Well golly, Brady, I can't _imagine_ who she _possibly_ would have picked _that_ up from," KC deadpanned.

   "Oh, shush and let me gripe," Brady scolded, earning another laugh.

   A faint crash came through the receiver, and KC raised her eyebrows when Brady yelled, " _Reagan!_ That had _better_ not have been the pot of spaghetti on the counter!"

   A faint reply that KC couldn't quite catch.

   "Waddaya mean it was Kyle's fault? Kyle is three years old! Kyle can't _reach_ the counter!" Brady hollered back.

   KC snickered. "Not so quiet on the Western Front?"

   "I swear, my aunts and uncles are like rabbits. It should be _illegal_ to pop out so many kids! No, you can't even call them kids. They're _way_ more like weapons of mass destruction!"

   " _Now_ who's being the drama queen?" KC accused, laughing. "You get stuck babysitting or something?"

   "Or something. The grownups all went out to play catch-up and won't be home 'til late. Hey, wanna come over and hang out? Throw on some Christmas movies, have a plate of spaghetti…" Brady paused. "Or maybe order a few pizzas."

   "Oh, _gee,_ Brady, that sounds like a _blast_. But I've still got _soooo_ much to do on that report and all…"

   "Oh, come on!" she whined. "I need help wrangling the zoo! Preferably _before_ they blow up the house. _You're_ the one with the babysitting experience here!"

   "Reagan's, what, fourteen now? She can help." KC couldn't hold back another laugh at Brady's derisive snort.

   "Are you kidding? _She's_ the friggin ringleader of this circus!"

   Another crash, followed by a loud, childish shriek. "Gah! Gotta go! _I swear I'm gonna glue you brats to the wall!_ " Brady bellowed, just before the connection cut off.

   KC laughed again as she hung up, flopped onto the couch to grin up at the ceiling. "Man, am I glad I'm an only child."

 


	2. "You Have Some 'Splainin' to do!"

   KC woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking. She frowned, snuffling at the air. That didn't smell like fish and rice, her usual morning fare. It smelled a lot more like French toast. And scrambled eggs with cheese. And was that _maple sausage_? Her eyes popped open as memory flooded back. And she was met with the welcome sight of her very own bedroom. It hadn't been a dream. She was back! Well, at least for a little while. Even better, it was Christmas Eve day, and she was home to celebrate it!

   And since she'd been sleeping, _somebody_ had to be cooking, which meant her mom must be home. She scrambled out of bed and stuffed herself into the first outfit she found on the floor of her closet, pounded down the stairs with all the grace of a stampeding moose. She missed a step, landed on her rump with a yelp and bounced the last two or three steps to the floor. "Ow," she muttered as she climbed to her feet, wincing when her bruised tailbone protested. That didn't stop her from racing full-tilt to the kitchen, though.

   "Merry Chris—!" she began, only to come to a screeching halt at the sight of the tall man who stood in front of the stove, wearing her mom's frilly apron as he expertly flipped thick slices of battered bread over the griddle. "D-dad?" she stuttered, hardly able to believe what her eyes were seeing.

   He looked up and grinned. "Hey, Kit Kat! How've you been? Well, look at you, I think you must've grown a bit since I last saw you!"

   KC snorted a laugh. "Don't get your hopes up." Her gaze drifted to the dining room table, where her mother calmly sipped a cup of coffee. "Mom!" She bounced over and threw her arms around her mother, nearly making her spill coffee on herself. "I missed you! What an awesome surprise! You didn't tell me Dad was coming!"

   "I would have if I'd known," her mother replied, tone dry. "It was just as much of a surprise for me when the doorbell rang this morning." She shot her daughter an odd look. "What do you mean, missed me? You act like you haven't seen me in weeks."

   "Oh, uh, well, you've been working so much lately I just kinda haven't seen you around, that's all," KC evaded.

   "Still a workaholic, Annie? You should spend more time with KC."

   Annie snorted and set her mug down with a thump. "That's good advice, Chris. Coming from a man who hasn't deigned to call or write his daughter for almost a full year, now."

   "Now, you know I have reasons why—"

   "Stop it!" KC shifted when they looked at her, surprised. "Don't argue. It's Christmas Eve," she said softly.

   "You're right, Kit Kat. No arguing today, promise." Chris made a zipping motion across his lips and held up one hand.

   "That's great, Dad, but shouldn't you watch the food?"

   He yelped as the toast he'd been neglecting began to smolder on the griddle, spewing smoke, while KC laughed at his attempts to fix the mess.

   He managed to make a presentable breakfast and KC helped him carry everything over to the table. Even though the toast was slightly burnt, she wolfed it down. She'd _missed_ home-cooked, American food! Not that she didn't appreciate what she'd been given in … _that other place_ , but really, a girl could only handle so much Chinese cuisine before she began to feel like she would sprout gills or start sneezing rice noodles out her nose.

   They made small-talk while they ate. Well, she and her dad did, anyway. Her mom just sat there and sipped her coffee, occasionally took a bite of scrambled egg (she refused to touch the toast). Chris asked KC about school and how her friends were doing and whether she'd gotten a boyfriend yet. KC was hard-pressed to keep the blushes down at that last question. After all, Hotohori didn't _really_ count as a boyfriend.

   "So, Dad, you'll be staying over for Christmas, right?" she asked, to distract him from any more nosy questions. Apparently, she wasn't keeping the blushes down as well as she'd hoped; he was definitely suspicious.

   A moment of awkward silence as Chris took a long swallow of orange juice. "Well, actually, I only stopped by on my way back to San Francisco," he admitted. "I was in the area on business. But I have a flight back this afternoon. Your mom told you about my gallery display in New York, right?"

   KC shoved down her disappointment. The news didn't really come as a surprise. "Yeah, I saved some news clippings about it. I wish I could go to New York to see it myself."

   "No need, there's another gallery display opening here in Boston next month. Much closer to home, right?"

   Her father was an up-and-coming artist who excelled in painting and dabbled in photography. He'd been chasing his dreams of fame and fortune for years, since way before KC had been born. And now it looked like it was finally going to happen with his first showing being featured in one of Manhattan's biggest galleries. "Did you sell a lot of work?" KC asked. "How much did it go for?"

   Chris smiled proudly, ran a hand through his hair. "A few pieces so far, for a pretty good sum, actually. But even more importantly, the exposure has done wonders for my career." He cleared his throat. "Actually, there's some pretty good news I wanted to tell you. And I have a present for you, too." He reached under the table and withdrew a brightly-wrapped package in a silver gift bag. KC eagerly grabbed it and made short work of the green-and-gold foil paper. Her jaw dropped. "You got me a _phone_?" she squealed.

   Her dad laughed. "Not just any phone. Top-of-the-line model! Has all the latest features."

   "I know. Brady has this same model. It's like a pocket computer!"

   "I believe they're called smartphones these days," he teased.

   "Chris, plans for those phones are expensive," Annie piped up with a frown. "KC doesn't have a job and I can't afford an extra hundred a month to pay for it! We barely make ends meet as it is."

   "Not a problem. Phone is set up and ready for use. I put her on my plan, so it's covered."

   "From all the way in Italy?" Annie asked with an arched brow.

   KC froze, her excitement over the phone vanishing. "I-Italy?" She glanced between her parents. "What're you talking about?"

   "Ah…" Chris shot his ex-wife a brief glare. "Th-that's part of the news I have to tell you," he admitted. "Due to the success of my art in Manhattan, I've been invited to display over in Rome and Paris, as well. But I need to create more pieces."

   "And you have to move to Italy to do that?"

   "It's the perfect environment for me to paint. The great artists lived there! It's rich in history and I know I'll be inspired to create even more beautiful pieces."

   KC sank down in her chair, the food she'd just consumed sitting like a lead lump in the pit of her stomach. She suddenly regretted eating so much. "So … when will you be coming back?"

   "Well, you see, I was thinking I'd make Rome my permanent residence. There's, uh, something else I need to tell you, too."

   "There's _more_?"

   Her mother abruptly stood, kissed KC atop her head and grabbed her briefcase. "I'm afraid I have to head to work now. I'm going to be late," she said. "I'll leave you two to talk."

   "Chicken," Chris muttered.

   "You're working _today_?" KC protested.

   "Only for a few hours. I promise I'll be home in time for dinner, and we'll go to a nice restaurant tonight, okay?"

   "But—"

   "No arguments, KC. You know how it has to be."

   "Yes, ma'am." KC slumped further in her chair and glared at the phone box in front of her. When her mom was gone she switched her glare to her father. "So, what's the rest of the _good news_?"

   He cleared his throat, reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a square of paper, slid it across the table to KC. It was a photograph, probably taken by her dad's own hand. It portrayed a woman and two teenaged girls who both looked to be around KC's age. All three of them were gorgeous, tall and dark-haired, slender as models and dressed in what was probably several thousand dollars worth of designer clothes. They looked like they belonged on the pages of Vogue. KC swallowed and the lump sat heavier in her stomach. "Wh-who are they?"

   "This is René Pinasco, and her daughters Emilia and Bethany. She's my agent, and she's the one responsible for setting up the showings in Manhattan and Boston. She's done a remarkable job of getting the word out about my art. She has contacts all over the world. She thinks I can go far, that I've got something special to say with my work, and she's making sure the world will hear it."

   "Th-that's great, Dad," KC mumbled. "And?" Because she knew there was an "and" coming.

   He took a deep breath. "Last month, I asked her to marry me. And she accepted. The wedding will be held in six months, after which we'll be moving permanently to Rome. The girls will be attending college there, you see. They're eighteen. Twins, you know."

   "Right. Twins. Of course," she mumbled. "So, you'll move away and I'll never see you again, is that it?"

   "Of course not!" He actually had the gall to look hurt. "I'm not going to just drop off the face of the planet! Look, the phone I got you is international, so you can call anytime you like, and you can also come out to visit. Italy is beautiful, you'd love it there!"

   "Dad, I haven't seen or talked to you in a _year_ , and you only live on the other side of the country. Do you _really_ expect me to believe you'll actually remember my existence while living with a brand new family on the other side of the _world_?" KC asked, her voice tight with growing anger.

   "Kit Kat, don't be like that," he sighed. "You know when I'm working I lose all track of time. I didn't mean to forget your birthday, but I was working on a special commission that had to be completed and… I'm lousy at remembering dates and stuff. Always have been. You know that."

   "That why Mom finally kicked you out? Missed one too many anniversaries?"

   Chris's expression grew stern. "KC, I'm sorry I've been a disappointment to you. But I'm still your father. I'd like you to treat me with some respect."

   "Then why don't you go hang out with your new daughters!" she snapped, jumping to her feet. "They look like they'll be a lot less of a disappointment than I obviously am! Have a nice flight back to California." She stormed out of the kitchen without another word, ignoring her father's demands for her to sit down and talk to him.

* * *

   Kimiko could hardly hear the doorbell over the Christmas music that blasted from the radio in her kitchen, where she and Brady were in the midst of baking cookies for the family get-together the next day. "Could you get that?" she called, holding up her doughy hands.

   "Rockin' arooouuund the Christmas treeee! Have a haaappy ho-li-daaay!" Brady sang as she danced to the door and pulled it open. Her voice faltered when she saw KC standing there, took one good look at her face before she grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the warm house. "Kimi! Cookies and cocoa, _STAT_!" she hollered, and a moment later the music shut off as Kimiko hurried into the living room.

   "Where the hell's your coat?" she gasped as Brady herded KC to the couch. "Good grief, did you _walk_ here like that?"

   "I've w-walked t-to your ho-house plenty of t-times," KC protested around her chattering teeth.

   "Not in thirty-degree weather and no coat you haven't!"

   "Never mind that," Brady cut in. "What's wrong? Something happened, didn't it? Come on, tell Auntie Brady _all_ about it."

   KC opened her mouth to spill the story, and promptly burst into tears.

   It took some effort to talk around her sobs, but she finally managed to relate the whole disastrous visit, from beginning to end. Her best friends cooed and tutted with sympathy, alternately handing out tissues and rubbing her cold shoulders. "And that's when I just took off and left him in the kitchen," she finished as she blew her nose into a well-used Kleenex.

   "Serves him right," Kimiko groused. "Springing news like that on his only daughter. On Christmas, no less!"

   "What a jackass," Brady agreed.

   "That's my d-dad you're talking about," KC sniffled.

   "Sorry. But what a _jackass_!"

   KC released a watery giggle, despite her sour mood. "Well, least now I know why he dropped off the planet. Too busy getting to know his pretty new daughters to remember he even has an old one."

   "I bet they're not so hot. I bet that picture was _totally_ 'shopped," Brady said.

   "You haven't even seen it. Besides, it's one of my dad's and he doesn't 'shop his photos."

   "Well, they're both probably dumb as a brick. The step-mom, too. The IQ between 'em probably won't reach double-digits," Kimiko offered.

   "They're smart enough to get into some college in Rome. That's why he's moving them all down there. I'll be lucky to pass high school."

   "Okay, I give up." Kimiko waved a dismissive hand. "They're all gorgeous and perfect and you'll never hold a candle to any of them and your dad loves them more. There. Is that what you wanna hear?"

   KC threw a couch pillow at her. "Bitch."

   "Thank you. I try."

   "But seriously, Kit Kat, don't fuss it. Think of this as an _opportunity_ ," Brady cut in. "I mean, after _that_ epic display of storming out, can you _imagine_ the guilt trip he must be on? He'll probably buy you expensive presents for the rest of your _life_. If he bought you a seven-hundred-dollar phone just to break the news, I bet your next birthday you get a shiny new Beamer in the driveway or something!"

   KC cracked up as her dark mood began to lift. No matter how rotten she felt, she could _always_ count on her friends to cheer her up. "I missed you guys _so much_ ," she cried as she dragged them both into a bear hug, ignoring their yelps of protest. "The last month has been practically un _bear_ able without you!"

   "Uh…" The two girls exchanged confused glances and KC belatedly realized her mistake.

   "I-I mean since yesterday. The last twelve _hours_ have been unbearable," she stuttered.

   " _Riiiiight,_ " Brady drawled. " _That's_ what you meant." She arched an eyebrow and drew circles around her ear with a manicured nail before KC punched her in the arm.

   "Shut up!"

* * *

   She found herself being dragged into the kitchen to help finish the cookies, after being bribed with all the raw dough she could stomach. Glad to think about anything else but her impending step-family (whom she didn't expect to ever actually meet, anyway), she threw herself into rolling out dough and cutting shapes with gusto.

   After a few minutes, she felt someone's eyes on her and glanced up to find both of her friends looking at her strangely. She blinked. "What? Do I have flour in my hair or something?"

   "Noooo," Kimiko began, thoughtfully. "Well, yeah, actually. But it's not that."

   "When did you lose weight?" Brady asked.

   "Huh?" KC glanced down at herself, astonished. Lose weight? Her?

   Come to think of it, the ratty jeans and old _Labyrinth_ T-shirt she wore _did_ seem a little bigger on her. But she'd been so excited about being home that she'd hardly given it any thought when she pulled them on. Now, she found herself hitching up the pants a bit; they hung a little lower on her hips than usual. She'd never bothered with a belt before, but it looked like she might have to invest in one, or risk an accidental wardrobe malfunction. The realization that she _did_ seem to be thinner cheered her immensely. It looked like all that running around in Konan—coupled with being sick and not eating much while there—had done what no amount of half-assed dieting had ever accomplished before. "Huh. How about that," she muttered and held up her arm to poke at the underside of her bicep. Yep, there was definitely less flab than usual. _Awesome!_

   "Okay, what gives?" Kimiko demanded. "You really _did_ lose weight. I mean, even since yesterday! Like, what? Five or six pounds? And … you have a tan! In the middle of winter! You didn't have _that_ yesterday, either!"

   KC gulped, suddenly not so cheerful. "Uhhh…" How was she supposed to explain? Running around for a month in Konan's summer weather had definitely darkened her skin, but again she hadn't noticed until it was pointed out to her. Well, _that_ she could probably excuse away with a salon tanning bed, but no _way_ would she convince her friends that she'd managed to drop so much weight in less than twenty-four hours. She tried anyway. "I was … uh … sick. You know. The cold and all." She coughed, lamely. "Guess it affected my appetite."

   "Nice try," Kimiko snorted.

   "What about your _hair_?" Brady's stare was more than a little suspicious.

   "What _about_ my hair?" KC grabbed locks of it with both hands, examined it carefully for any oddity. It looked perfectly normal to her. Except … when was the last time she'd cut it? She thought for a second. Mei Lin had trimmed an inch or two off the ends with a razor, right before she had left for the mountain. She didn't _think_ it was much longer than it had been before her impromptu vacation.

   "Your _highlights_ ," Brady pointed out. "The ones you just got _last weekend_. You've got like a month's worth of growth in them already! How'd _that_ happen?"

   "Aw, shit. Forgot about that." She banged her fist against her forehead.

   "Okay, this is all too weird for words. What's going _on_ with you?" Kimiko demanded. "You're not trying some freaky new diet that's whacking out your body, are you?"

   "Of course not! You know I hate dieting," she joked weakly.

   "Then _what_?"

   KC groaned. "You'll _never_ believe me. Not in a hundred, million years. You'll think I'm insane!"

   The two girls glanced at each other, then back at their squirming friend. "Try us."

   She sighed. "Okay. Just remember, _you_ asked for it." Glancing at Brady, "So, remember our phone conversation last night? About the man-eating book and the flaming peacock and all…?"

 


	3. Channeling Mr. Spock

   Forty-five minutes later, KC finally finished her tale, sat with hands folded in her lap and regarded her friends expectantly.

   They regarded her right back and didn't say a word.

   This went on for a good minute before she finally threw her hands up with an exasperated, "See, I _knew_ you wouldn't believe me!"

   "It's not that we don't believe you," Brady denied as she finally shook herself out of her stupor.

   "Yes, it is," Kimiko deadpanned. Brady nudged her sharply in the side while KC pouted.

   "Okay, Einstein, then _you_ explain why I suddenly look so different overnight," she sniffed. " _You're_ the ones who brought it up, remember."

   They exchanged glances and Brady offered a glib shrug. "I got nuthin'."

   Kimiko sighed and fixed a stern glance on KC. "You do realize what you told us sounds like something straight out of a fantasy novel or an anime or something, right?"

   "And she would know!" Brady quelled under Kimiko's glare. "I was just kidding! Geez, don't get your panties in a twist."

   "I swear, if this is some kind of a prank you two cooked up…"

   "Hey! I've got nothing to do with this!" Brady pouted, all wounded innocence.

   "It's not a joke!" KC sighed and slumped against the couch, frustrated with the both of them.

   "So you really believe this happened."

   " _Yes!_ "

   "KC, think about this." Kimiko's voice took on an all-too-familiar tone.

   Brady leaned over. "Do something, quick! She's channeling Mr. Spock again!" she hissed, earning a muffled snicker from KC.

   Kimiko just ignored them and plowed ahead. "You're telling us that … that other universes and _time manipulation_ really exists. But something like this would upset the entire balance of nature. It's impossible!"

   "Wow! _That_ must be why they call it _super_ natural!" KC pressed her hands to her cheeks in mock-astonishment.

   Now Brady sniggered, and Kimiko scowled. "Magic isn't real," she insisted.

   "How do _you_ know?" KC challenged. "D'you think just 'cause you can't see something, it doesn't exist? You can't see _air_ , can you? Does that exist, or are we just _imagining_ we breathe it?"

   "That's a good point," Brady put in with a nod.

   "Brady…" Kimiko sighed.

   "Well, it _is_." She pouted. "Look, this is KC we're talking about here. Even if it's hard to believe, why would she _deliberately_ make something like this up?"

   " _Thank you_." KC smiled at her gratefully.

   "I mean, it's not like she has the imagination to think up a story _that_ bizarre all by herself, anyway! Right?"

   "Hey!"

   Kimiko pursed her lips and tapped an impatient foot on the carpet, pondering. "Well, okay then," she decided pertly. "If you expect me to believe you're not completely bonkers, you're gonna have to show me some kind of proof or something."

   KC's face split into a catty grin. "Well, golly. You should've just said _that_ in the first place!"

* * *

   Her dad was gone when KC finally returned to her house, friends in tow. She shoved down the swell of disappointment and hurt. After all, it wasn't like she'd _really_ expected him to stick around and wait for her to come back. The phone still lay on the table where she'd left it, along with the picture of her soon-to-be stepfamily and a short, hastily-jotted note.

 _KC, I'm sorry things are left like this, but I have to leave or I'll miss my flight. My number is in the phone. CALL ME. Please._  
   Love you,  
   Dad

   She crumpled the note and picture and tossed them both into the wastebasket. "Up in my room," she said and stomped up the stairs, beelined for the digital picture frame sitting on her dresser; last year's Christmas present from Kimiko. "Behold! My proof," she exclaimed as she held it up to display the images scrolling slowly across the screen.

   Her friends stared at it for a few moments before Kimiko glanced up with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, just what are we supposed to be looking at?"

   KC rolled her eyes. " _Konan._ I had my camera with me so I took pictures while I was there. Although they're mostly just of the palace estate. I didn't exactly think to take pictures of the actual city when I first got there. Too busy freaking out and all."

   "Looks like a movie set," Brady commented.

   "It really does." Kimiko's eyes narrowed.

   "Come on, guys!" KC whined. "We're in the middle of Boston suburbs, not Hollywood. Where the hell would I find a movie lot around _here_?"

   Brady didn't answer. Her eyes suddenly went wide and her jaw dropped. Just a little. "Whoa, whoa, _whoa_. Pause and _rewind_! Who the heck is _that_?"

   KC snickered. She could think of only one person who would elicit _that_ response. She flipped the frame around and scrolled back two or three pictures until the image of Hotohori appeared. The one she'd taken when they'd first met. " _This_ is the emperor of Konan. He's the guy who's been taking care of me. His name is Saihitei, but I call him Hotohori."

   "Is he one of those senshi guys you mentioned?"

   " _Seishi_. And yes. And I met three more when I was there. I think I got a picture of Tamahome, but not the rest of them. My camera battery died."

   Brady still gazed adoringly at the picture. "Hotohori… I think you mean Hoto- _hottie_ ," she sighed. "Helloooo, emperor! Where have you _been_ all my life?"

   Kimiko, as usual, remained skeptical. But even _she_ looked a little dazed. Which, for Kimi, was as good as a full-on swoon. "There's no _way_ his eyes are really golden," she muttered. "Colored contacts. And that's gotta be silver hair dye."

   KC gave her shoulder a condescending pat. "If it'll help you sleep tonight."

   "Why's he look like he's about to piss his jockey shorts, though?" Brady asked with a laugh.

   "What do you expect? He never saw a camera before. I think he thought I was gonna attack him with it until I explained. I had to sneak all those other pictures. I didn't want to freak people out. They don't … handle _different_ and _unknown_ very well. That's why some of the angles are so weird."

   "Oh, and here I thought you were just trying to get all artsy and everything." She smirked. "Maybe you should introduce them all to the wonders of video next time."

   "Oh, yeah, that'd go over _real_ well."

   "Guys!" Kimiko clapped her hands sharply, twice. "Can we please _focus_? The man in the picture is very pretty, yes. But there is nothing about him that screams 'I'm from another world'!"

   KC pouted. "Well, what about all the other pictures? What do you call _those_?"

   "Botanical gardens? Clippings from magazines?"

   She was clearly grasping, and KC pursed her lips. "You know," she began, "if this was a horror movie, you'd be that _one bonehead_ who _refuses_ to believe her boyfriend is possessed, even when his head keeps spinning around on his neck and he's stabbing everyone in the eyeballs with a crucifix or something!"

   Brady laughed. "That kinda sounds like a guy I used to date."

   Kimiko whapped her in the face with a pillow. "This isn't funny! Okay, fine. For argument's sake, let's say her story _is_ true. If this place is real and she's actually being called on to save a country from hostile takeover or whatever, wouldn't that make _her_ a major target for assassination?"

   " _That's_ why I'll have seven super-powered Seishi to protect me," KC pointed out.

   "Are they all as gorgeous as Hotohotti?" Brady asked hopefully.

   "Stop calling him that! It'll stick in my head!"

   She just grinned. "How are you even able to _function,_ looking at his face every day? We all know what a spaz you turn into around cute boys."

   KC huffed and scratched her head. "I dunno. I got used to him?"

   "Does this mean you'll be able to act like a normal person around other guys now?"

   She thought about it, then shrugged. "I've done okay so far, I guess. Tamahome is pretty cute, too, and I talk to him fine. He's kind of like a brother, you know? And Nuriko is just as pretty as Hotohori. Of course, I thought _he_ was a woman for the longest time. He likes to crossdress." Upon witnessing the expression on Brady's face, she quickly added, "Forget it. He's completely in love with the emperor. You wouldn't stand a chance. Besides, Nuriko can be … _temperamental._ I don't think you'd get along well."

   Brady sniggered. "Is that the polite way of calling him a bitch?"

   "We've had … differences of opinion," KC replied vaguely.

   "Well, _that's_ great." Kimiko shook her head. She practically radiated disapproval. "Seven superpowered warriors and one of them doesn't like you. How do you know you can trust him?"

   "He helped get me back here. And he protected me. He even saved my life once. Besides, I don't think it's that he doesn't _like_ me. It was more that he was really jealous because he thought I was trying to steal Hotohori out from under his nose."

   Kimiko's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "And why would he think _that_?"

   KC squirmed as her cheeks began to turn red. There had been … a _few_ details she'd left out of the story…

   Brady sat up with a huge grin and pounced like a cat on a cornered mouse. "You _totally_ had a thing going with him, didn't you?" she squealed.

   "I did not!" KC protested, but her burning face belied the denial.

   Brady wasn't buying it. "I want details! Spill!"

   She squirmed and glanced at Kimiko for help, realized she wasn't about to get any from that quarter, sighed and slumped into the desk chair. "It … seems that Hotohori thinks he's in love with me," she mumbled, shot a dirty look at Brady when she squealed again. "But it's totally ridiculous! He doesn't even know me! What _he's_ in love with is the Priestess. I mean, come on. A guy like _him_ falling for … _me_?"

   "It does seem a little farfetched," Kimiko agreed. She yipped when Brady punched her in the arm. "I … I mean, of _course_ there's no reason why he _wouldn't_ love you," she hastily amended. "You have a good personality and you're cute!"

   KC rolled her eyes. "Nice recovery, friend."

   "Oh, come on! You know I didn't mean it like _that_."

   "I know," she sighed. "And it's not like I don't _agree_ with you. He's got a whole harem full of drop-dead gorgeous women handpicked just for him, all ready and willing to leap right into bed with him. _I'm_ probably just his equivalent of … of teenage rebellion or something. He has to know I'd make a terrible empress. I don't know anything about how his world works!"

   "Wait. _Empress_?" Kimiko's eyes widened.

   "He _proposed_ to you?" Brady leaned on her hands and knees so far over the edge of the bed that she was in danger of tumbling right off.

   KC cleared her throat. "…He might've," she admitted. "Once or twice."

   "And you _turned him down_?"

   "Of course I did! I can't stay in Konan forever!" she snapped. "My job is to find the rest of the Seishi, summon Suzaku, wish to save the world, and then go home again. That's it! Staying is out of the question! What the hell would I tell my parents?"

   Brady gaped at her. "Uh, how about 'I just met the richest, most _incredibly gorgeous_ man of my dreams and he loves me and I'm moving far away to marry him'?"

   "I don't love him 'cause he's rich and gorgeous!" KC protested indignantly.

   " _Hah!_ " Brady pointed, triumphant, and promptly slipped off the bed, barely managed to catch herself before her face met the floor. "But you _do_ love him," she grunted as she heaved herself back up to the mattress.

   KC's entire _body_ had turned red by that point. "I … I like him very much," she mumbled. "Who _wouldn't_? But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stay and—"

   "Marry him? Have his babies? Live _happily ever after_?"

   "I couldn't do that anyway! The Priestess has to be a _virgin_ in order to summon Suzaku!" KC crossed her arms and smirked. "Sorry to dash your romantic dreams."

   Brady just blinked. "So? Do the summoning thing and _then_ marry him." As if it _should_ have been the most obvious solution in the world.

   "Gah!" KC gripped her hair and yanked. "Kimi, _you_ try talking sense into her."

   "Sorry, I don't fight losing battles."

   "Have you at least _kissed_ the guy?" Brady cut in.

   KC blinked, caught off-guard. "I—"

   "That's totally a yes!" she squealed. "So was he any good?" Her expression turned impish. "Or maybe he was really _terrible_ at it and _that's_ why you don't want to marry him. He'd probably be bad in bed, too. All that perfection _has_ to be too good to be true."

   "He's a perfectly good kisser! _Fantastic_ even!" KC barked, offended on Hotohori's behalf. She cursed at herself when Brady just grinned smugly; how did she always manage to fall for such obvious ploys? "A-anyway, like I said, it doesn't matter how good or bad he is 'cause I don't have any intention of sticking around to find out."

   "Or maybe you should," Kimiko suddenly piped up.

   KC blinked. "Wait. What?"

   "I'm saying, go back to Konan and seduce the guy. It'll get you out of this whole mess you got yourself into, right? One quick tumble in the sheets and home you get, no summoning necessary. Seems like a pretty good deal to _me_."

   Both Brady and KC gaped at her, slack-jawed. "I can't believe Little Miss Prude just suggested using cheap sex to break a deal," Brady breathed. "I am so _proud_ of you!"

   "Oh, shut up."

   "I couldn't do that, anyway," KC protested. "They all _know_ I have to be a virgin, so Hotohori would never sleep with me now even if I asked him to. And I really _like_ him. Using him like that would really hurt him and I couldn't do that." She considered. "Besides, Nuriko would _kill_ me if I tried."

   "Awwww," Brady sighed. "That's so sweet! You really _do_ love him!"

   KC rolled her eyes. "Sure, if you say so. Anyway, can we _please_ get back to the matter at hand here? I have to go back soon and I _really_ need your help to do this."

   Kimiko sat down beside Brady on the bed and crossed her arms, lips pursed. "You know, I'm still not sure I even _believe_ this whole story you cooked up."

   "Look, feel free to disbelieve all you want, but when I get sucked back through that book, you won't really have a _choice_ in the matter."

   "Well, what do you want _us_ to do?" Brady asked.

   "I … I dunno." KC slumped. "Cover for me, I guess? I mean, I think it should be okay. If Taiitsukun could send me back in time to just a few hours after I left, then Suzaku can probably do the same thing, right? Could be that I can take all the time I need to do this and come home the same day. But just in case, a backup story would be a good idea, right?"

   "But, like, what if you take _years_ over there and come home and you're, you know, middle-aged or something?" Brady asked. "I mean, that'll be a _little_ harder to explain than dropping five pounds and gaining a tan overnight."

   "Oh. I hadn't thought of _that_."

   "I still say this is a bad idea," Kimiko grumbled. "Why don't you just burn the damned book and be done with it? It's not like the world inside it is _real_ or anything."

   "Yes, it _is_." KC frowned at her. "I _lived_ there. I met _friends_ there. They have genuine feelings and lives and families to care for. I met a whole lot of people who all believe in me and if I break my promise, I'll spend the rest of my life feeling guilty for it. Burning the book won't make that world disappear and if I don't save Konan, it'll all go up in flames and take everyone I care about with it. Innocent people will die, and it'll be all my fault."

   "Well, when you put it like _that_ …" Kimiko grumbled with a roll of her eyes.

   "So … you'll help me?" KC clasped her hands and offered her best puppy-eyed expression.

   Kimiko huffed an exasperated sigh. "Seems like there isn't much choice in the matter. Your mind is obviously made up, and who knows _how_ you'll screw it up if we don't come up with some kind of a game plan."

   "It's us to the rescue, as usual!" Brady crowed, pumping her fist into the air.

   " _Yes!_ I _knew_ I could count on you guys!" KC launched herself at them and nearly knocked them all off the bed in her enthusiasm.

 


	4. Planning for Bank Heists

   After much debating, they finally decided to meet in the Clubhouse the day after Christmas.

   In the late nineteenth century, when Brady's large, Victorian-style house had been built, the Clubhouse served as a detached carriage house set way in the back of the sprawling property. Her architect father had converted it into a life-sized Barbie's Dreamhouse for her sixth birthday, complete with Barbie-themed furniture and glittery pink _everything_. She'd even had a matching wardrobe of dress-up outfits, courtesy of an aunt who designed children's playclothes. Two weeks after that, Mr. Summers had packed his bags and took off for California. Brady always referred to the Clubhouse as his guilty goodbye present, but that didn't keep her or any of her friends from spending most of their summer nights camped out in it, playing dress up, telling bad ghost stories and making themselves sick on junk food.

   It had undergone drastic changes over the years. Its painted exterior, exposed to a decade of harsh summers and even harsher winters, had faded from its original eye-gouging pink to an even less attractive grayish mauve. At least where it hadn't peeled entirely off of the walls to expose the original wood beneath. The interior was in slightly better condition. It looked a little threadbare and worn around the edges. The furniture barely held itself together after years of rough play. Spiders had taken up residence in most of the corners, and Brady was pretty sure a family of raccoons had made themselves a nice little den under the wooden porch. But the building itself had been well-built and was structurally sound, although it had become something of an eyesore since the landscapers didn't bother to maintain the grounds around it anymore, allowing weeds and shrubbery to grow wild around it, nearly obscuring it from view.

   Which made it a perfect hideaway for their needs.

   "It's gonna be cold out there," Brady warned. "Mom had the power disconnected awhile back."

   "I thought Reagan still hung out in it," KC said.

   "She did, until one of her friends got caught trying to sneak in a bottle of vodka. And a couple of boys. They've all since been banned. Mom even threatened to have the thing torn down."

   Kimiko snorted. "Because you _never_ snuck boys or booze into the Clubhouse before."

   "Of course I did," Brady scoffed. "I'm just not dumb enough to get caught. Anyway, I'd never drag a boyfriend into that place _now_. Do you even realize how embarrassing it is to try and make out on Barbie's couch? Spiders and glitter just _don't_ set the mood. Neither does freezing your tits off."

   KC snickered while Kimiko just rolled her eyes. "If you're that worried about freezing to death, we can always just camp out in your bedroom."

   "Screw that. You know how my mom is. She'll keep nagging us to come down and, like, _socialize_ or something. And _then_ we'll probably get dragged into watching the zoo while everyone goes out drinking. My aunts can sniff out free babysitters from the other side of the _country_."

   "So, the Clubhouse it is." Kimiko jotted in her notebook. "We can drag a couple of space heaters with us. If things go well, we won't be out there that long anyway. And if anyone asks, we're holding a last-minute study session to cram for a big test."

   "And for me to work on my report." KC scratched her head. "Which I haven't even _touched_ yet, come to think of it…"

   Kimiko shot her a droll glance. "An entire _month_ spent gaining firsthand experience of life in ancient China and you didn't even take _notes_?"

   "Sorry. Guess I got too distracted with the whole trying-to-find-a-way- _home_ -again business."

   "Wait. How are we supposed to get to the book, though?" Brady wanted to know. "Isn't it like locked in the basement or something?"

   "Oh. Well…" KC offered a sheepish smile. "I sort of snuck it out of the library with me. You might not want to mention that to anyone."

   Kimiko stared at her. "You stole a library book?"

   " _Borrowed_. I _borrowed_ the book. I'm gonna give it back!"

   "…"

   "…Eventually…"

   Kimiko pressed both hands to her face and let out an exaggerated sob. "I-it's like I don't even _know_ you anymore!"

   "Anyhow!" Brady tsked and shook her head with an air of extreme disappointment. "I call for an intervention! This is like the gateway theft to stealing candy from babies or something. It's all downhill from there, man."

   KC huffed and whapped them both with her pillow.

* * *

   Two hours later found her standing beside her bed, the largest duffel bag she owned open and bulging with most of the contents of her dresser. She pursed her lips and held up a long-sleeved T-shirt, shaking her head. "It's summer in Konan, Brady. _Summer_."

   The redhead shrugged and cheerfully tossed a pair of wool leggings onto the pile. "Seasons change. Never hurts to be prepared!"

   "You know, I already have plenty of clothes to wear over there."

   "Sure, but are they cute and flirty?" Brady yanked a lacy, knee-length sundress from the depths of the closet. "You wanna impress Hotohottie, don't ya?"

   "No!" An afterthought. "And stop _calling_ him that!"

   Brady just laughed and tossed the dress into the duffel.

   "You might as well just let her have her way," Kimiko commented as she idly flipped the pages of a magazine. "You can't stop a bulldozer with a feather."

   KC huffed. "Packing clothes is pointless," she argued. "Lace and frills do not make good hiking gear. And I'm pretty sure we're gonna be hiking all over the country hunting the rest of these Seishi guys. I'm also pretty sure the bad guys'll be hiking all over the country hunting _me_. The _last_ thing I need is to be screaming 'I'm from another world!' with an outfit like _this_." She pulled the dress off the pile and tossed it back into the closet.

   Kimiko looked up with a frown. "And is _that_ supposed to make me feel better about this whole debacle?"

   "Why not? Doesn't seem to bother Brady."

   "Brady possesses the self-preservation of a doorknob." Kimiko considered. "As do _you_ , for that matter."

   A balled-up sweatshirt promptly hit her in the face.

   "Nice aim, Brady!" KC chirped.

   "Thanks! Didn't date the football team for nothing!"

   Unfazed, Kimiko tossed the shirt onto the steadily-growing pile of discarded clothes on the floor. "Take necessities with you. _Warm_ clothes that are easy to hike in and won't stand out too much. And comfortable walking shoes! You got any hiking boots?" At KC's incredulous stare, she rolled her eyes. "Forget I asked."

   "Forget hiking boots! Why is there not a single piece of sexy lingerie in your dresser?"

   "Brady! Get out of my underwear drawer!" KC squawked as she snatched the cotton panties and bra from her friend's hand. "I prefer comfort! Is that a problem?"

   "It is if you're trying to get laid!"

   "I'm not _trying_ to— _Gah!_ I give up!" She tossed the underwear into the air and flopped backwards onto the bed, dislodging the duffel to the floor.

   Kimiko snickered. "Told you."

   "Hey," Brady commented suddenly, "I think your mom's home. Just heard a car pull into the driveway."

   "Can't be. It's only…" A quick glance at the clock made KC blink. "Five o'clock?" Boy, time sure did fly when you were having fun…

   She opened her window, leaned out as far as she dared until she could catch a glimpse of the driveway, spotted the front end of her mom's dark blue sedan. The door opened and Annie climbed from the car, arms laden with bags of takeout. KC caught a whiff of pork fried rice and sweet-and-sour chicken and groaned. " _Not_ more Chinese food," she complained.

   Annie must have heard her. Or maybe her mom-sense kicked in at that moment because she glanced up and visibly startled, nearly dropping the food. "Katriana Choinsky, _what_ on earth are you _doing_?" she yelped. "Get back inside before you slip and break your fool neck! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

   KC grumbled and rolled her eyes as she pulled her torso back into her bedroom.

   "And you wonder why your mom worries about you," Kimiko deadpanned.

   KC ignored her as she gazed around her bedroom. It looked rather like the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, which her mother would _not_ appreciate should she discover the mess. "Don't just sit on your butts, _help_ me!" she huffed as she kicked the duffel under the bed. She grabbed an armful of clothes and unceremoniously dumped them back into her dresser, stuffed random sleeves and pant legs through the cracks when its drawers refused to shut tightly. "If Mom sees this mess she'll ground me _and_ she'll ask questions."

   "Just say you're coming to my place for a study session, remember?" Brady reminded her.

   "With enough packed for an entire _year_?"

   Brady considered, then shoved the discarded clothes pile into the closet with her foot, shut the door just as Annie's head appeared over the top of the stairwell in the hall. "Hi, Ms. C!" she chirped with way too much enthusiasm to be believable. "Got home early today, huh?"

   "Well, it's Christmas Eve and I promised KC I'd be home for dinner." Annie cast a suspicious gaze around the room. "What's up with you three? Planning a bank heist?"

   "Ha ha. We were studying. Big test coming up and all." KC did her best to sound innocent.

   "Hm." Annie dragged a textbook from beneath a few random socks that had somehow made it onto the desk. "Wouldn't it help to use the actual _books_?"

   "We were just finishing up, actually," Kimiko smoothly interjected as she stood. "Brady and I need to leave. We were baking at my place earlier and there's still some cleaning up to do before my parents get home from work. _Right_ , Brady?"

   "Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah, we gotta go. 'Cause cleaning. And stuff."

   Kimiko hastily snagged the redhead by the sleeve and dragged her from the room. KC followed them to the front door and handed off their coats, aware that her mother trailed right behind.

   "Don't forget, weekend study session at Brady's after Christmas," Kimiko announced with exaggerated volume.

   KC rolled her eyes. "A little louder? Don't think they heard you in _Konan_ yet," she muttered. "You're gonna blow my cover if you keep acting so squirrely!"

   "Yeah, Kimi, don't be such a spaz," Brady teased.

   "Oh, like _you_ can talk!" Kimiko playfully punched her in the arm as the two girls made their way to the yellow convertible parked beside the curb. They were still bickering as the car pulled away.

   KC heaved a sigh and closed the door before she wandered to the kitchen, where her mother busily opened the takeout containers. She poked her nose into one and the scent of shrimp egg rolls made her stomach growl. Okay, maybe she could handle just a _little_ more Chinese cuisine…

   "I know I promised an actual restaurant," Annie began as she scooped fried rice into a bowl, "but it didn't occur to me that reservations on Christmas Eve might be the _tiniest_ bit impossible to make last second. So, plan two: sweet 'n sour chicken and Christmas movie marathon. Sound good?"

   "Sure! What're we watching?" KC picked up a trio of rental DVD cases. " _It's a Wonderful Life_. Always a classic. And really _boring_." She tossed it aside, ignoring her mother's huff. She held up the second case. " _Die Hard?_ Really?"

   "What? It's a Christmas movie!" Annie protested with a laugh. "There are decorations and everything!"

   "You just wanna watch Alan Rickman playing the suave, super-villain terrorist," KC teased.

   "Well, can you _blame_ me?"

   Good point. But listening to her mother moon over anyone who wasn't her dad was up there on the weirdness scale with listening to Brady crow over her latest conquest. Some things she just did _not_ want to hear about. "Moving on." She examined the third DVD case and then heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Right. _Gremlins_ it is," she decided. "Nothing says Christmas like chopping up a bunch of slimy little monsters with kitchen appliances."

   "Oh, come on. It's a classic!"Annie teased as she carried her bowl into the living-room, kicked off her shoes and relaxed on the couch with a sigh. KC followed with her own bowl and the movies and slid _Gremlins_ into the player before joining her on the sofa.

   They ate in companionable silence for awhile, paused the movie to get seconds. As KC took a bite of white rice off her chopsticks, Annie commented, "You know, you're getting to be pretty good with those things."

   KC almost choked on her mouthful and took a gulp of sweet tea to wash it down before she replied. "Been practicing, I guess." Of course, it wasn't like she could say _where_ she'd been practicing, so she left it at that.

   After a few more moments of silence, Annie put down her fork and turned to face her daughter. She seemed oddly hesitant. "So, I take it things didn't go so well with your dad?" she finally ventured.

   KC studied a bite of chicken at the end of her chopsticks. "Did he call you?"

   Annie hummed. "He left a message on the way to the airport and asked me to talk to you, since you clearly weren't in a mood to talk to him."

   KC's scowl deepened. "Can you blame me? Telling me I've been replaced. I dunno what else he expected."

   "A little understanding, I suppose."

   "Like the kind you displayed when you stomped out this morning?" Appetite gone, she pushed her bowl away.

   The corners of Annie's mouth tightened the way they always did when she was about to launch into lecture-mode. But after a few moments of silence, she sighed. "You know I had to leave for—"

   "Work. Yeah. I know. It's always about work with you," KC cut in. "How long are you gonna keep using it as an excuse to avoid family drama?"

   Annie pursed her lips, sat back with her hands folded over her drawn-up knee. "You know I've had to put in so much overtime lately because I'm aiming for that promotion," she said after a few moments. "If I can make office manager, it will mean a good pay raise and steadier hours. I'll also have more say over scheduling matters, so I shouldn't have to work as much."

   "So you won't work so many weekends and holidays?" KC asked hopefully.

   "That's the idea. Eventually, anyway. We just need to have a little patience. I don't enjoy working so much either, you know. It interferes with … other matters."

   KC nodded, sat back and began to pick at her food again. After a few moments, she realized her mother still watched her, expression thoughtful. "What?"

   Annie sighed. "There's something else I've been planning to tell you, but after today, I'm hesitant to bring it up."

   KC frowned. "We're moving."

   "No."

   "…You're dying?"

   "No!"

   "Well, you never know!" She shrugged. "Okay, _you're_ getting remarried, too."

   A marked silence greeted this guess, and her eyes widened as her stomach took an abrupt nosedive into her feet. "You're seriously getting _remarried_?"

   "No, of course not. But…"

   KC swallowed. "But?"

   "I am seeing someone," Annie admitted. "Casually. A coworker of mine. His name is Terrance Williams. Tate. He started working the cubicle beside me about three months ago and he's a really nice guy. I think you'd like him."

   "You've been dating this guy for _three_ _months_?"

   "Of course not." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Only about a month or so, and it's been very casual, as I said. We've stopped for a bite to eat or a drink after work once or twice. He often brings me food from the deli down the street when I have to work late. We get along well and I consider him a good friend. But, he's been hinting around that he'd like to get more serious. And I think I'd like that, too."

   “But…” KC could hardly think. Her stomach suddenly hurt and she felt slightly nauseous. “But what about Dad?”

   Annie gave her a blank look. "What _about_ Dad?"

   "I…" KC dropped her gaze, eyes burning. Her entire _face_ felt hot. She blinked rapidly. "I just…"

   Her mother sighed. "I know you always hope for Dad and I to reconcile someday," she began softly. "Honestly, I used to hope that, too. But we've both got to face facts that he won't come home anymore. He's living the life he always wanted. He's _moved on_ , Katriana. Don't you think it's about time for us to move on, too? I'm _tired_ of waiting for something that's never going to happen. We both deserve to be happy, too, and … Tate makes me happy."

   "If you and Dad hated each other so much then why did you even get married?" KC tucked herself into a miserable ball in the corner of the couch.

   "I've asked myself that same question. But I _don't_ hate your father. I loved him very much. I still do, no matter how much we bicker. And I know he loves both of us, even if he's _lousy_ at showing it."

   KC snorted.

   Annie reached over and gave her knee a squeeze. "Some people can love each other and still be completely _wrong_ for each other. Your dad and I grew up together. Our parents were best friends and so were we."

   "Yeah, I know. Dad always told stories about the trouble you two used to get into when you were kids."

   She laughed. "Yeah. And we bickered all the time back then, too," she added dryly. "But in eighth grade he asked me to our school dance and that's when our relationship changed. We dated all through high school. Never even considered seeing anyone else. It just felt like the next natural step was to get married. But my mother was completely against it. I guess she could see what I refused to, that Chris had a completely different goal in life than to settle down and raise a family. I believe he really does love us, but…"

   "He loves his art and traveling the world more." KC stabbed at her cooled rice with a chopstick.

   "Yeah. I guess he does." Annie sighed and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "The thing that upsets me most is how easily he was able to leave _you_ behind. When the subject of custody came up, he didn't even try to fight to keep you."

   KC slid her a sideways glance. "That your way of saying you're pissed 'cause you couldn't foist me off onto him?" She received a light swat on the knee.

   "You know that's not how I meant it! Of course your welfare was most important and heaven knows moving every few months while your dad looked for new work is _no_ life for a child, but I wish he would have at least tried to keep himself in your life more."

   "He did try. At first," KC pointed out. "Up until he forgot my existence." She received another swat. But no denial.

   A few moments of silence, and then Annie nudged her. "So? What do you say?"

   "About what?"

   "About me seeing Tate!"

   KC considered. "Are you asking my permission?"

   "No. But it would be nice to have your blessing."

   She chewed her lip, then shrugged. "Do what you want."

   "Thank you. And will you meet him? He's invited us both to a New Year's party next week."

   "That depends."

   "On?"

   "On whether you're planning to spring any more surprise stepsiblings on me," KC deadpanned.

   Annie huffed. "No, there are no siblings. Tate's a widower. His wife had a heart condition. She wasn't able to bear children. And she died about six years ago."

   "Oh. Sorry."

   "Don't be. Just letting you know where he's coming from. He's a perfectly normal guy. So will you go to the party?"

   KC sighed and nodded. Restarted the movie to signal the end of the discussion. She watched the gremlins wreak their havoc without really seeing anything, her mind fully occupied with the smallest beginnings of an idea.

   One that just might change everything.

   One that involved a magical bird, a wish, and an unbelievable adventure waiting for her an entire universe away.


	5. The Visit

   KC stood in front of her mirror and critically examined herself. Festive red dress, check. Knee-high black boots, check. Minimal makeup and jewelry… She fingered the carved jade bracelet around her wrist that she had snuck back from Konan and promptly forgot about until rediscovering it in the bottom of her bag. More proof of where she'd been. She had two others just like it, one for each of her friends. She didn't know if they were worth as much in Konan, but she was pretty sure genuine white jade from an ancient civilization would fetch a pretty penny in any respectful antique shop. Even if it was a bit questionable whether this particular ancient civilization actually existed in her reality or not…

   At the very least, Brady would go absolutely gaga over the trinket. Even Kimiko could appreciate fine jewelry. KC would just have to make sure Nuriko never found out she'd swiped the matching trio from his jewelry chest.

   "You ready to leave yet?" her mom called from the stairs. For the fifth time. Her growing impatience was obvious.

   KC sighed. No more procrastinating. Time to face the inevitable. She grabbed her purse and a small overnight bag that she'd packed with the bare minimum of clothes and toiletries for a sleepover at a friend's house. And The Book, of course, buried well beneath everything and wrapped securely in her pajamas, just to make sure no unsuspecting busybody would accidentally stumble across it. Brady had warned her that at least two of her younger cousins had developed a penchant for snooping through unguarded purses and suitcases.

   It had been KC's idea to stay over at Brady's a day earlier than planned, since she and her mom had intended to celebrate Christmas at the Summers anyway. No sense in going home and then going straight back, after all. Kimiko still planned to arrive the day after Christmas as today she would be spending it with her own family.

   After much consideration, KC had also repacked the huge duffel, discarding most of Brady's choices in favor of the bare essentials; a few pairs of jeans, shirts, a light hoodie, numerous pairs of thick socks and every bra and panty she owned. She'd also thrown in an extra pair of sneakers and most of the contents of the bathroom medicine cabinet (and she could only pray her mom wouldn't notice anything amiss until it was all over). No way would she be stuck for who-knew-how-long in that world without modern medicine again! This time, she'd be prepared for _anything_.

   She'd already stashed the duffel in the back of the Subaru's trunk, behind the folded chairs her mom had never bothered to unpack from their last trip to the beach. She'd have to find some way to sneak it into the Clubhouse during the party, but with all the chaos going on she didn't think it would be too difficult.

   She turned to leave the room and spied her new phone on the dresser. _Oh, yeah. Don't forget that._ Not that she'd have any use for a phone in Konan, but at least she'd have time to figure out how to _use_ it. The damned thing was basically a pocket computer, and technical wizard she was not. When she picked it up, the screen automatically turned on and she saw she had three new notifications. Two new texts from her friends. And a third from her dad. She fiddled with it until she figured out how to open them; Kimiko and Brady said basically the same thing, Merry Christmas and good luck, with Brady's addendum of, "Can't wait to party this afternoon!"

   Her dad also wished her a Merry Christmas. He didn't mention a word about yesterday but asked her to send an updated picture of herself. She deleted the text.

   "Any day now, Katriana!"

   That was definitely her mom's hurry-up-or-there- _will_ -be-hell-to-pay voice.

   "I'm coming!" she hollered, slipped the phone into her purse and pounded down the stairs. At the bottom, she put on her sulkiest expression.

   Annie rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. We're going. You haven't seen your grandmother since Easter. She's the only one you have left. You should visit."

   KC shrugged and scuffed the floor. "It's not like she'll know if I'm not there, anyway," she mumbled. "She doesn't even remember who I am."

   Annie sighed and draped an arm around her shoulders. "She does know and she always asks after you. It's just because you look so much like Grandma Marty when she was your age. It triggers old memories, I guess. You know it isn't her fault. Her Alzheimer's…"

   "I know," KC cut in. "But it doesn't make it easier to see her like that."

   "You think it's easy for me?" Annie shot her a reproachful look. "She's your only living grandmother, but she's my only mother. I don't enjoy seeing her like this any more than you do, but I'm not going to just foist her off to some home and forget she exists. Especially not at Christmas. We both know how terrible that feels, right?"

   Appropriately cowed, KC silently followed her mother out to the car.

* * *

   The wooden sign posted at the entrance of a long, paved driveway read Happy Trails Retirement Community in big, colorful letters. "Where Happy Retirees Spend the Best Years of Their Lives!" proclaimed the subtitle. A cartoonish sun complete with beaming face smiled down from the top-left corner, and a pair of rabbits frolicked playfully in the bottom-right.

   "D'ya think someone stole that sign from a daycare center on a dare or something?" KC asked as they passed it, just as she always did whenever they visited the home.

   Annie's mouth twitched up, but otherwise, she didn't respond. They drove up the long drive dotted on either side with sprawling willow, oak, and maple trees, bare and lifeless. Large patches of snow still covered much of the landscape, and even larger patches of muddy grass and dead leaves covered the rest of it, but in spring it would be a pretty, picturesque country scene straight out of a brochure.

   Small, neat cottages began to appear, festively decorated with lights and tinsel by their independent owners. The buildings soon grew larger, turned from single houses to community apartments for those who didn't wish to bother with the upkeep of a yard anymore. Nurses stations were located on each floor of these buildings, just in case their more elderly tenants needed medical attention.

   The largest of the buildings came into view at the end of the drive. The sprawling complex housed the physical therapy center and the nursing home meant for those residents no longer able to care for themselves independently. Here was where Grandma Kitty had spent the last three years of her life, ever since her Alzheimer's had taken a turn for the worse and she'd started forgetting how to do the simplest tasks.

   KC always dreaded these visits, because she never knew what to expect. Sometimes, Grandma Kitty was bright and alert, joking around and teasing her like she did before the disease had taken over her mind. Other times, it was like sitting in the room with a complete stranger. The other times were coming more and more frequently these days, so KC did her best to be busy whenever she knew her mom had a visit scheduled.

 _It's Christmas,_ she thought as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor, the dementia ward. _Please let her be in her right mind today…_

   The ward had been decorated to the nines. Green and gold streamers draped the ceiling and red fold-up paper bells hung at intervals between them. The large foyer-slash-dining-room was packed; clearly, they'd arrived just as breakfast was finishing up. Many of the residents sat in wheelchairs at small tables that had been covered with red plastic tablecloths. Nurses and aides hovered over some of the residents who were still eating. Many of them sat in a blank daze, staring off into space or muttering to themselves. One woman meticulously fed a well-worn doll, oblivious to watery oatmeal dripping down its filthy face as she cooed at it to take just one more bite.

   KC's stomach turned as she looked away, only to meet the eyes of another lady who scowled at her with obvious disapproval. "This isn't the place for pets, young lady," the woman snapped. "Your bird does not belong here."

   She blinked. "Bird?"

   "The bird! The bird!" The woman gestured impatiently at KC's shoulder. "Why isn't it in a cage? It will fly away!"

   "Oh. Uh…" KC stepped back.

   "Golden songbird! Pretty golden fire wings," a man to her right crooned, reached out to brush thin fingers against her back. She recoiled and hurried down the hall after her mother. "And you wonder why I hate this place," she muttered as she caught up.

   Annie raised an eyebrow. "Why? What happened?"

   "Nothing. Never mind."

   They reached room 501 at the end of the hall. The door was open, the privacy curtains surrounding each of the four beds drawn back. Two beds were unoccupied, sheets stripped and blankets folded neatly at their heads. They'd been filled the last time KC had been there; she wondered briefly if the patients had died, then mentally kicked herself for being so morbid.

   Grandma Kitty sat in her wheelchair beside the wall-length window, staring outside. She'd been dressed in red slacks and a warm, bulky Christmas sweater; even under the layers, KC could see how thin she'd grown since the last visit. The wrinkled hand resting on the chair arm looked positively skeletal, a far cry from the plump, warm hand she remembered.

   Annie approached the woman with a hesitant smile. "Merry Christmas, Mom," she greeted softly. Pale blue eyes turned from the window to look at them, and to KC's immense relief, they filled with recognition. A large smile crossed Kitty's face as she reached to grasp her daughter's hand. "Annie girl, I've been waiting for you," she proclaimed. Then, to KC, she added, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in such a long time!"

   "I'm sorry, Gran," KC replied guiltily. "I … I guess I've just been so busy with … with school and stuff."

   "Well, never mind, never mind." Kitty patted her hand. "I'm glad you came to visit. Merry Christmas! Sit, sit! Let's talk awhile. Annie, how's that job going? And your young man? When are you going to bring him to visit again? He was such a nice man…"

   KC's heart sank. Her mom had already brought Tate to meet Kitty? Before introducing him to her own daughter? How many other people already knew? Before she could work herself into a mood, though, KC felt her grandmother's eyes on her.

   "So, my girl, how about you? You met any nice young men lately?"

   A certain shrewd twinkle in those blue eyes suggested that Kitty might know a thing or two, and KC's face heated up despite herself as Hotohori wormed his way into her thoughts. Again. "N-no, not me," she stuttered around a nervous little laugh. "Don't have a boyfriend yet."

   Kitty gave a knowing little hum but thankfully dropped the subject in favor of grilling Annie about her job again. KC slouched in the uncomfortable chair and listened to the two catch up, mumbled a few vague responses to questions posed by her grandmother, and otherwise passed the time alternating between poking around on her phone and staring out the window at the snow-covered trees.

   And then her grandmother broke out the playing cards. "Anyone up for a game of Pinochle?" she challenged.

   "Sure, Mom." Annie shot her daughter a look, and KC rolled her eyes.

   "Sounds like fun." She reluctantly put her phone away and scooched her chair around to the other side of the bed as Kitty dealt the cards, using it as a table. They played several rounds and, as always, Kitty whipped both their butts, fiercely guarding her unofficial title of Pinochle Champ.

   "I'd swear you cheat," KC grumbled as she shuffled the deck after their fourth round. The loser with the worst score always shuffled the deck; it usually turned out to be KC.

   Kitty just laughed and patted her hand. "Now, now. Let's not be a sore loser. It's just due to my mad skills," she teased, earning a laugh from Annie and a reluctant grin from her granddaughter. "Now, if you wanna see a real cheater, you should play a round of poker with Marty." She tsked disapprovingly, although her eyes twinkled with mirth. "That lady can cheat the beard off Saint Nick and he'd be none the wiser."

   KC slid an uneasy glance to her mother. It wasn't that she didn't like listening to stories about Grandma Marty, who'd apparently been quite the wild child. But reminiscing over old memories tended to trigger Kitty's dementia and KC didn't want a repeat of Easter, wherein they'd spent most of the visit gently reminding her that Grandma Marty had died years ago and that KC wasn't her, no matter how much they looked alike.

   Luckily, Annie seemed to pick up on her daughter's unease, because she reached over to rub Kitty's shoulder. "You look tired, Mom," she said gently. "It's nearly eleven already. Do you want to sleep a bit before you go to lunch? I hear there's going to be a big meal today. I think a children's choir is singing Christmas carols, too. I know all this excitement wears you out."

   Kitty hummed. "I suppose a quick nap wouldn't hurt. Gotta get my beauty sleep for all these young, male nurses." She winked while Annie just rolled her eyes.

   "You don't really flirt with the nurses," KC scoffed.

   "Sure I do! Gotta keep 'em on their toes." Kitty cackled at her granddaughter's expression. "Makes it even better when they flirt back. A man with a good sense of humor is a keeper, I always say." Now KC was the one rolling her eyes as she waited for her mom and grandma to make their goodbyes.

   When she leaned in to deliver her own departing hug, Kitty murmured, "You bring your young man by and introduce us sometime."

   KC once again felt herself blushing. "I don't have-"

   "Oh, nonsense." Kitty laughed. "I wasn't born yesterday. You bring him by and let me get a look at him. He handsome?"

   KC snorted. "Yeah, Gran, he's handsome." She stuffed as much sarcasm as she could muster into the reply. "Loaded, too. He rules his own country and everything. So it might be hard to get him away to visit." She snickered when Kitty poked her teasingly in the side, leaned in to hug her goodbye.

   "You watch out for that blue devil, though," Kitty murmured.

   "What?" Frowning, KC pulled away. Her heart sank; her grandmother had that look in her eyes. The glazed, vacant stare that suggested her mind had just wandered off somewhere. KC hated that look.

   "That blue devil," Kitty murmured again. "You watch out for him, now. He's got the face of an angel and a demon's own black heart. He is not your friend. Don't you believe anything he tells you. You mind me, now."

   Heart pounding in her throat, KC tried to pull back, but her grandmother gripped her hands tight, squeezing with a strength KC hadn't known she still possessed. "Y-yes, Gran. I'll watch out for him. I promise," she said weakly.

   "I'll look forward to meeting your handsome, rich boyfriend," Kitty teased as she smiled up at KC, eyes clear and bright. Just as if the strange moment had never happened. And to her, it probably hadn't.

   KC returned a shaky smile and stepped back, muttering a quick goodbye as she trotted after her mother. "What was that all about?" Annie questioned once she caught up.

   "Uh, nothing. Guess she had a little episode," KC shrugged and tried to play it off as they wandered through the foyer to the elevator.

   "Pretty songbird! Golden flame wings! Where are you going? Come sing for me," the unfamiliar man shrieked from his wheelchair. KC cringed and crept behind her mother until the lift arrived, hastily squeezed through the half-opened doors and startled a group of visitors on the other side.

   Annie shot her a disapproving glance as she murmured an apology to the departing crowd. "I'm not going to get you back here for a good long while now, am I?" she asked when they reached the first floor.

   KC just hugged herself and didn't bother to reply.

 


	6. Phoenix on Your Shoulder

   Brady's house was pure chaos, just like she'd warned.

   KC and her mom stood on the doorstep for nearly two minutes, balancing plates of desserts in their arms. KC—juggling two plates of cookies and an apple pie—used her foot to kick the door, leaving muddy prints at its base. And when Annie slid her a scolding glance, she rolled her eyes and switched to using her chin to ring the doorbell.

   She rang at least twice more before the white oak door finally swung open. A little girl with a mass of coppery curls and big green eyes greeted them with a gap-toothed grin. She couldn't have been more than four; probably one of those cousins Brady had been grumbling about. Behind her, four more kids raced past, three boys and a girl. They each sported a mop of hair in varying shades of red. The boys were all armed with cans of silly string and the screeching girl had been liberally covered in their handiwork.

   "Wow. Must be the Weasley family reunion. American branch," KC quipped.

   "Har de har." Brady appeared like magic, a deadpan expression on her face. "Welcome to the funhouse. Come on in and take a load off. Try not to trip over any stray kids on the way."

   "You weren't kidding about _everyone_ being here." KC stepped to the side when a woman whom she recognized as one of Brady's aunts hurried past, paint-covered toddler in tow. "Arts and crafts time?" she guessed with a grin.

   Brady rolled her eyes and grabbed another pie from atop Annie's pile before it could slide off. "Because setting a bunch of kids loose with bottles of glitter glue and finger paint is _always_ a brilliant idea."

   KC laughed as they headed to the kitchen to unload their plates among the dozen other desserts already displayed on the long buffet counter. Bridget Summers was already there, engaged in a game of pinochle with several other guests. Two of the women were blonde and another dark brunette; related by marriage, KC guessed. "Hey, Annie Choinski! Come join us!" Bridget invited, pulling out a chair. "Help yourself to a drink. Hey, KC. Good to see you."

   KC barely had time to return the greeting before Brady grabbed her and was towing her through the house toward the bedroom. They passed the living room on the way, where she spotted four more kids gathered around the 70-inch television, watching a Spongebob Squarepants Christmas special. "How many cousins do you _have_?" she asked, amused.

   "Too many!" Brady lamented. "Mom comes from a long line of big families. She has like ten siblings, who are all continuing tradition. I guess I should be grateful she had me and Reagan and decided that was good enough. I could've ended up like cousin Laura, who's got three older sisters and two younger brothers."

   "Are they here?" KC remembered meeting Laura a few years back. She was the same age as Brady and one of the few blonde-haired members of the family.

   "Her oldest sister got married a few months back so the in-laws wanted to host Christmas. They're in the Alps. His family's loaded, I guess," Brady explained

   KC shot her a droll glance before a burst of male laughter drew her attention into the room they were passing. She supposed the best word to describe it was man-cave, even though no men actually lived in the house. It had everything a well-stocked man-cave required. A pool table and a television that was even bigger than the one in the living room. A dark leather sectional and several Lay-Z-Boy recliners surrounded the TV; occupied, of course. Many of the males currently inhabiting the room sported the traditional red hair, although she spotted a few more brunettes in the group.

   There was one man, however, who stood out among all the others that KC couldn't _help_ but notice.

   He captured her attention and held it and she couldn't stop gaping, just a little. He was half-hidden behind the mini-bar, pouring a drink for one of the uncles, but even with the bar between them, KC could tell that he was very tall. He probably stood at least a head taller than everyone else in the room. Or maybe it was just his overwhelming look-at-me presence that made him seem so big.

   He was _gorgeous_.

   Not in the androgynous way that Hotohori and Nuriko were gorgeous; _he_ was purely masculine. A dark green silk shirt clung to his well-defined chest and offset the beautiful glow of his lightly tanned skin. He had a face that Adonis could envy and when blue eyes suddenly met hers, they pierced straight into her with a brilliance that made her breath freeze in her chest. In a not-entirely-pleasant manner. He held her gaze for a long moment, sharp and assessing, before his attention shifted back to the man he was serving and she could suddenly breathe again.

   Flustered, KC turned away and nearly ran into Brady, who'd stopped right behind her. Brady was smirking as she tapped the corner of her own mouth. "You've got a little drool…"

   KC whapped her and turned red. "I do not! Who _is_ he? One of your relatives?"

   "Nah." Brady wrinkled her nose. "That's my mom's latest boy toy. And I do mean _boy_. He's like only in his twenties or something! She invited him for Christmas to meet the family. Dunno why; she'll probably be done with him by New Years."

   "Is he a model or something?" KC risked another peek around the door.

   "He's actually a doctor. Some kind of a surgeon."

   "What, like for plastic surgery?"

   Brady shrugged. "I think he works on brains or hearts or something. Real smart guy. Kinda full of himself, too. That's why it won't last. Mom likes 'em dumb. Makes her feel smarter or something."

   "Isn't that _your_ usual criteria for boyfriends?" KC delivered a teasing nudge.

   "Where do ya think I get it from?" Brady grabbed the strap of KC's overnight bag and used it to haul her toward the stairs. "He gives me the creeps, honestly," she confessed. "My sister the moron is _totally_ infatuated with him and he doesn't do anything to discourage her. _Mom_ thinks it's cute. But the guy is like a total pedo! He's always staring at us."

   They finally reached her room on the third floor and KC followed her inside with a frown. "I dunno, Brady. If he's that bad maybe you should call the police."

   "And tell them what? That he's ogling us to death? Last I checked, staring wasn't a crime. That's all he does, just watches us and smirks like he knows something we don't. I wanna plant my size-six right in that perfect mouth sometimes," Brady grumped.

   "I'm gonna tell Nicolai you said that!"

   Reagan stood in the open doorway with a small video camera held up and a wide smirk on her face. Brady hurled a pillow from the day lounge at her. "Get outta here, Spaz," she snapped. "Go play with the other kiddies."

   Reagan lowered the camera with a pout. "Why can't I hang out in here? I'm not hurting anything."

   KC did a double-take. "Are your eyes _purple_?"

   "Yup!" Reagan grinned, showing off a set of pearly whites that had recently come off of six years of braces. "Mom let me get colored contacts. Cool, huh?"

   "I didn't know you needed contacts."

   "She doesn't," Brady snorted. "It's just costume props. They make her look like an alien."

   "They do not!" Reagan pulled a face at her. "It's my new look! For my show!"

   "Show?" KC asked curiously.

   Brady snickered. "Reggie here thinks she's gonna be the next big YouTube star."

   "Shut up. And don't call me Reggie."

   Reagan flounced into the room, dark auburn curls bouncing, but when she would have thrown herself onto the bed, Brady instead snagged her by the back of her shirt. "And where do you think _you're_ going? I don't recall telling you to come in," she drawled as she dragged her sister back to the door.

   "But—!" Reagan started to protest, only to be cut off when Brady swung the door shut in her face. "Jerk!" she yelled as her footsteps retreated down the hall.

   KC raised an eyebrow. "That seemed unnecessarily harsh."

   "She'll get over it." Brady flopped onto the day lounge with a careless shrug.

   "Why're you so mean to her? She really wasn't hurting anything."

   "She's a pest," she grumbled. "She's always gotta be in my space."

   KC curled up in the Lay-Z-Boy rocker beside the lounge. "She just wants to hang around her cool older sister. What's wrong with that?"

   Brady reached over to give her a rather condescending pat on the shoulder. "As an only child, I can forgive your poor, naive delusions," she cooed. KC smacked her across the back of the head and she laughed. "Seriously, though. She's into everything. Uses my expensive makeup, steals my clothes… Which is ridiculous considering she's still in a training bra…"

   KC snickered. "Stop exaggerating. _You're_ jealous 'cause your boobs weren't _nearly_ as big when you were fourteen," she teased.

   Brady pressed a hand to her heart, affected her most wounded expression. "Now that's just hitting below the belt! Flat-chest…" She coughed the last word into her hand and received another whap in retaliation.

* * *

   After getting set up in Brady's room for the sleepover, one of the aunts tracked the two girls down and dragged them both out to join the festivities. Everyone had converged upon the wall-length buffet in the Grand Dining Hall (and KC _still_ rolled her eyes every time she heard that title; really, it wasn't _that_ grand to deserve being called a hall). Extra tables had been set up for the cousins, although most of them had sprawled in front of the TV in the living room to watch Jim Carrey cavort around dressed up like a green Santa. The dining room was still plenty crowded with everyone left over, though.

   "Watch out for the mistletoe," Brady warned as KC passed under the sprig hanging from the huge double-door entrance, just a tad too late.

   " _Gyack!_ " she sputtered as she was met with an immediate faceful of multi-colored silly string, courtesy of James and Jeremy, Brady's twin cousins. KC remembered meeting _them_ before, too, and she'd wanted to smack them both just as badly!

   "Hey, hey!" Brady scolded. "What're the rules?"

   The boys looked at each other. "Not above the neckline," they intoned together. Right before aiming their cans directly into her face and spraying.

   " _I know where you sleep!_ " Brady screeched after the giggling twins as they bolted. She grumbled under her breath and brushed green and yellow string out of her hair, then hip-checked KC who still snickered beside her. "Uncle Jack was kind enough to introduce his household tradition," she explained grumpily. "If you get caught under the mistletoe, you get hosed down with silly string instead of kissed." She nodded at the adults gathered around the buffet, each one sporting tendrils of colorful string. "Pretty sure _they're_ plotting revenge as we speak. Jack provided all the ammunition, too."

   "Well, that explains a lot." KC laughed again and grabbed a plate from the end of the buffet line. "Look at it this way; at least he isn't raising a generation of future sex fiends," she added teasingly.

   Brady huffed. "They're only eleven. Give it time."

   The "traditional" Christmas lunch consisted of everything from whole roasted turkey with all the trimmings to sliced roast beef to sandwich fixings and potato chips. It was clearly a help-yourself kind of deal with shiny silver plastic-ware and red-and-green plastic plates. With this many people, KC couldn't blame Bridget for wanting to keep things simple; she wouldn't have been at all surprised if the entire meal had been catered.

   The girls loaded their plates and sat at one of the card tables set up in a corner. But KC hadn't even taken a bite when she felt eyes on her. She glanced up to find the golden Adonis watching her. A smirk touched his lips as he raised his wine glass in a toast and she quickly glanced away, face flaming.

   Brady noticed. "See what I mean about the staring?" she muttered. "It's creepy! I don't see him staring at anyone else like that, do you? I'm tellin' ya, _total_ pedo."

   "Wanna go eat somewhere else?" KC asked.

   "We can hide out in the living room. If you don't mind sharing with the tiny tots."

   They gathered their plates and beat a hasty retreat, finding the majority of the cousins sprawled out across colorful sleeping bags on the floor with plates of food in front of them (half of which had already ended up on the carpet). KC glanced at Brady with a raised eyebrow. "Up for a game of Frogger? Lots of logs to hop on in here."

   "Nooooo!" came the immediate protests, followed by an exuberant, "I'm a crocodile!" To which, of course, the rest immediately followed that _they_ were crocodiles, too.

   "Oh, well. Would have been fun anyway." Grinning, KC shrugged and picked her way through the herd to make herself comfortable on the abandoned couch. The little four-year-old who'd greeted her at the door immediately got up and toddled over to climb on the couch and plop down beside her. Two more shortly joined them. And then a forth.

   "Looks like you found your tribe," Brady teased.

   KC pulled a face. "So I've got a way with kids."

   "Yeah." Brady snickered. "They can always sense a kindred spirit."

   KC threw a potato chip at her.

   "I rest my case." Brady pointed at the group. "And don't you guys even _think_ of throwing food around in here. Mom'll pitch a cow!"

   A chorus of giggles greeted her. "I think you meant 'fit'," KC snickered, to which Brady responded by tossing a balled-up napkin at her.

* * *

   After lunch, the adults herded all the kids around the huge Christmas tree for the traditional present-opening craze. KC was both impressed and intimidated by the waist-high pile of gifts pushed up against the wall behind the tree; she and Brady stood well away from the frenzy of tearing paper and excited squeals while Reagan danced around the group, filming everything.

   After a while, KC nudged Brady to get her attention. "I've got my large bag stashed in the car trunk," she muttered. "I gotta sneak it out to the clubhouse at some point before Mom leaves."

   "She might not be able to," Brady replied. "Did you look outside lately? It's snowing pretty heavily. She might have to stay over."

   KC groaned. "Well, _that_ won't make things more complicated or anything," she grumbled.

   "Relax, will you? Nobody'll even know you're gone. And they're already working on the roads so they should be cleared out overnight. Besides, the whole Konan thing won't take that long, right? At least not on _this_ end." Brady kicked aside a stray ball of wrapping paper. "Anyway, if you're gonna go stash your stuff, now's probably the best time to do it, while everyone's distracted with presents. There are games after this and we'll be expected to join." Her expression said exactly what she thought of _that_ idea.

   KC snickered and ducked out of the room, ran up to the bedroom to grab her coat and gloves before heading to the front foyer. She found her mom's purse tucked into a corner of the coat closet and riffled for the keys before stepping outside into the frosty air, yelping at the icy blast of snow that immediately hit her face. She'd started to shiver by the time she got to the car and had tugged the overweight bag free from its hiding place, trudged back up the long drive and around the side of the house to the backyard.

   She staggered toward the Clubhouse with the duffel slung over her back. It wasn't long before she found herself kicking a path through the snow, which had steadily deepened until it nearly reached the top of her boots. She'd almost forgotten that the Clubhouse resided at the bottom of a gentle incline; the blanket of snow lay smooth and pristine across the wide lawn, deceptively flat. Maybe it hadn't been the _smartest_ decision to lug the duffel out to the old building when it might have been easier just to sneak it up to the bedroom and hide it in the closet. Still, KC had already gone that far, she wasn't about to turn back _now_.

   Taking a fortifying breath, she hitched the bag and trudged on, eyes fixed firmly on the dark outline of the old carriage house as it slowly came into view through the falling snow. When she finally reached the porch she nearly let out a whoop of victory, stomped up the rickety steps and forced the old door open. It swung in on creaky hinges, hit the wall with a bang and sent a shower of dust raining down on her wet head. A startled mouse hastily skittered under the dilapidated couch. She wrinkled her nose. "Boy, the housekeeping sure went to hell in this place," she quipped, dropping the heavy bag on the wooden floor with a _pfwoomph_ that raised another billow of dust.

   Mission accomplished, she brushed snow and dust off her head and turned to make the trek back to the house. Her fingers had gone almost numb, the thin gloves doing nothing to protect them from the cold. She hopped her way through the tracks she'd already made, trying to avoid getting any more snow down her boots, until she reached the back side of the wraparound porch, where she made a detour up the back steps to go inside through the mudroom. From there she could sneak up to the bedroom again and dry off a bit, hopefully avoid potential nosy questions about how she'd gotten so wet. She took off her coat long enough to shake off the excess snow, then sat on the porch swing to pull off one boot at a time and shake even more snow out of those.

   "Now, I wonder what was so interesting in the carriage house that you'd go through all that trouble to visit it," a deep voice mused from directly behind her. She shrieked in surprise and nearly fell off the swing as she twisted to get a look at who'd spoken.

   Nicolai leaned casually against the porch railing, lit cigarette trailing smoke as he slid her a sidelong glance. She hadn't even noticed him standing there, his pale gray trench coat blending easily with the falling snow and dingy, white-washed railings. How long had he been watching, she wondered uneasily. Her gaze flicked to the cigarette. "Bridget doesn't like smoking," she muttered before her brain-to-mouth filter could kick in.

   He huffed an amused sort of laugh, dropped the butt and ground it out with his boot. "Our secret," he replied, a finger pressed to his lips as he kicked the stub into the bushes.

   KC suppressed a shiver. She didn't understand why but something about this guy just gave her the willies. She turned around again, belatedly recalled that she still held her left boot and her toes were quickly turning to ice cubes. She clumsily pulled the boot on and zipped it up.

   "Katriana, right?"

   She started and glanced over her shoulder. "Huh?"

   "Your name is Katriana Choinsky?"

   She nodded, somewhat impressed; he'd actually pronounced it right.

   He walked around the swing to stand in front of her. "Nicolai Hart. I'm a … friend of Bridget Summers." He stuck out a hand.

   "Yeah, I know who you are." KC glanced at his hand, mouth tightening. She really didn't want to take it, but her mom would kick her ass if she found out she'd been rude to an adult, so she reluctantly accepted the handshake. His fingers closed around hers, strong and warm. He wasn't even wearing gloves. She felt a startling jolt rush through her and her frown deepened as she hastily extracted her hand. "Do I—Have we met before?" she blurted, suddenly feeling as if she ought to _know_ this stranger. 

   He tilted his head and a small, amused smirk crossed his perfect lips. "In another life, perhaps," he replied easily. 

   Her eyes narrowed at the slightly mocking tone of his deep voice. She was really starting to see why Brady disliked this guy. "Right. Well, I'm freezing so I'm going inside." She turned to stomp into the house, but his parting words stopped her.

   "No matter what happens, stay on your chosen path."

   "What?" She turned around to gape at him, heart pounding. "What're you talking about?"

   He ignored her. "Never doubt yourself. Trust what your instincts tell you and everything will turn out fine."

   "Exactly _what_ were you smoking just now?" she snapped.

   He merely chuckled and reached around her to open the door. "Ladies first," he offered with mocking gallantry. She huffed and pushed past him into the house, made a beeline for the living room and grabbed a startled Brady by the hand to drag her up to the bedroom.

   "What the hell's got your panties in a twist all the sudden?" Brady protested laughingly as she stumbled after her shorter friend.

   "Just had a run-in with Nicolai," KC muttered, instantly sobering the redhead.

   "What'd he do?" she growled. "If he laid a hand on you, I'll—!"

   "It was nothing like _that_!" KC yelped, redfaced. "He just … said some _really_ weird things. And he saw me coming back from the Clubhouse. I think … he _knows_."

   "Knows what? You mean like about the _plan_?" Brady didn't try to hide her skepticism.

   "He was talking about following my instincts and staying on my chosen path like some sort of … of prophecy or something. And that's not all! My grandma started talking about some weird shit right before we left her, too. Told me to look out for the Blue Devil, and other residents kept talking about some kind of a golden bird on my shoulder."

   "Really." Brady slid her a dry look. "You visited the nuthouse and were surprised when the nuts started cracking?"

   "It's not a nuthouse," KC snapped. "It's a … a hospital. And, I mean, a golden bird? Suzaku's a golden bird. What if they were talking about _him_?"

   Brady laughed. "Right, you've got an invisible, mystical deity perched on your shoulder, watching your every move. Boy, Suzaku's a perv, watching you shower and everything."

   KC threw a pillow at her. "What if he _is_ watching, to make sure I actually go _back_?"

   "Then you've got nothing to worry about 'cause you're fully planning to go back." Brady sat down on the lounge and crossed her legs, lips pursed. "Look, phoenixes are supposed to be these big-ass flaming birds the size of a horse or something, right? How would one even _fit_ on your shoulder?"

   "Neither one of us has actually _seen_ a living phoenix before. For all _we_ know he could be the size of a frickin' canary," KC grumbled.

   Brady burst into more giggles. "Sure, 'cause nothing screams awe-inspiring deity more than Tweety Bird," she managed.

   "Oh, shut up." But KC couldn't quite mask her grin as Brady dragged her back down to the party, where they were immediately pulled into the games by insistent cousins.

* * *

   KC tried to concentrate on what she was doing, but as she competed against Brady and Reagan in a game of Twister, she found her attention continually drawn toward Nicolai. He had made himself comfortable in a corner of the room, seated in a love seat beside Bridget, who seemed more than a little sloshed. KC wrinkled her nose. She liked Bridget, but the woman had an obvious drinking problem. As did most of the siblings, by the looks of things. No wonder Annie had balked when KC had begged her to attend the Summers' party. She'd never been a heavy drinker and tended to avoid people who were.

   Judging by the glances both Brady and Reagan kept casting toward their mother, they'd noticed, too, but were doing their best to pretend they hadn't. Nicolai himself appeared oblivious to the woman clinging drunkenly to his leg and cooing ridiculous nothings to his knee. _His_ attention was fixed firmly on the three girls on the mat, face expressionless. And because his steady gaze unnerved her to the point where her concentration was nonexistent, KC shortly found herself sprawled atop the pile of arms and legs belonging to her friends.

   " _Oof_! Get _off_ , you horse," Brady gasped as she shoved KC to the side.

   "Says the _elephant_ who's crushing my _ribs_ ," Reagan complained from beneath the pile. Brady smacked her across the head as she pulled herself free.

   "Our turn!" Bridget and two of her sisters immediately scrambled to take their place on the Twister mat, to the delight of the onlooking kids. Intoxicated aunties were entertainment at its finest. Reagan gleefully took her mother's spot beside Nicolai, camera already rolling as she snuggled against his side. After a somewhat amused glance, he went back to watching the adults' drunken antics.

   KC pursed her lips and leaned against the wall, her gaze shifting between the game and the man on the love seat until Brady gave her a sudden, hard poke in the side that made her jump and squeal in surprise. "Keep staring like that and your eyeballs are gonna drop outta your head," the redhead managed to scold around her giggles.

   KC poked her back. "I'm not staring," she denied, in spite of her red cheeks. "I'm just … keeping an eye on him. To make sure he doesn't try anything funny."

   Brady scoffed. "What's he gonna do? Grab her and jump out the window?"

   "I dunno. There's just something about that guy that makes my Spidey Senses tingle."

   "You sure that's the _only_ thing tingling?" Brady comically waggled her eyebrows and laughed when KC smacked her. "I can't really blame you for staring, to be honest. Creeper or not, he _is_ seriously gorgeous."

   KC couldn't argue with that.

   Brady slid her another glance and a sly grin. "Not as gorgeous as your Hoto-hottie though, huh?"

   KC scoffed. " _Nobody's_ as gorgeous as my Hoto-hot— _Damn_ it! _Brady_!" She snatched up an abandoned can of silly string and chased her hysterically-laughing friend out of the room with it.

 


	7. Wrench in the Works

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Here's your present.
> 
> Oh, just a warning, the beginning of this chapter is a bit, uh, graphic? I tried to keep it relatively toned down, as this story is only PG13, but I guess this opening scene could be rated R, both for content and one strong curse word. If anyone feels I need to change the rating, let me know.

   He sprawled, lithe and resplendent, among silken sheets, his hooded eyes nothing more than thin rings of burnished gold nearly swallowed by pupils dilated with arousal. She smiled to see it, pleased with his reaction, pleased to feel how his strong hands gripped her thighs hard enough to bruise. The tips of his nails indented her white-jade skin, but she didn't mind the slight pain; it only excited her own desire to know she so excited his. To know she had this much power over the beautiful emperor. Shadows and moonlight played across their entwined forms as they moved together and she watched his face contort with passion. She almost hated to end this dance. He was young, but not entirely inexperienced and it had been a long time since she'd had such a gentle, considerate lover who gave as much pleasure as he took. She raked long nails along the length of his torso, from shoulder to groin, and was instantly rewarded with a low groan and hard thrust of his hips. She hummed in approval. So _many_ things she could teach him, if she had the time…

   Still, she knew her job and she took it seriously. She was not so far gone as to forget the entire reason she'd come to be there. She arched her back, allowed her opened robes to slip from her shoulders and fall to pool among the sheets. Raised her arms to twine her fingers into her wealth of long hair, to allow the man panting and groaning beneath her to admire her form in all of its perfection…

   Her lips pulled into a slight pout when she realized that his eyes had closed in his unabated passion. Well. No matter. A distraction was a distraction and his had just given her the opportunity she'd needed. "Open your eyes, _Husband_ ," she murmured. "Open your eyes and look at me."

   Dazed eyes finally fluttered open and she took a moment to relish in his confusion as they fixed upon the slender dagger she'd drawn from the sheath hidden in her unbound hair, poised over his heart. A feral smile curled her lips as confusion gave way to dawning horror, as he realized his foolishness, but it was far too late as the dagger plunged down—

   KC bolted up in a tangle of sheets, her horrified scream lodged in the back of a throat closed too tightly with fear to allow its escape. She struggled for a moment, the sheets and blankets twisted around her thrashing body before the roll-away cot she'd been sleeping on abruptly tipped over and she found herself tumbling to the floor with a painful thud. She lay on her back, mouth gaping as she struggled to remember how to _breathe,_ eventually managed to draw in a great, shuddering breath of air that was just as quickly released on a half-choked sob.

   "What. The. Ever-loving. _Fuck_ ," she hissed as she finally managed to untangle the blankets enough to free her arms and shove the cot's thin mattress off her body in a fit of sudden rage.

   Her mother would've grounded her for a month to hear her curse like that. Her friends would've been _scandalized_ (or somewhat delighted in Brady's case, except she had somehow slept straight through the commotion) but really, after a dream like that, KC couldn't think of another word _strong_ enough to convey her extreme emotional distress. She raised her hands to examine them; it was too dark to see them shaking but she could _feel_ the fine tremors running through her fingers. And her arms. And the rest of her body, for that matter.

   She took deep, calming breaths until the shivers finally eased and the cold sweat dried on her body, shakily got to her feet and stumbled toward the bathroom, closed the door and switched on the light. It nearly blinded her and she squinted as she turned on the tap, let the water run into the sink as cold as she could stand before splashing her face a few times. A quick glance in the mirror showed that she looked about as freaked-out as she felt, her face pale and an almost haunted look in her eyes. "Chill out, girl. It's not like you've never had a nightmare before," she muttered at her reflection.

   Although, she'd never had a nightmare like _that_ before. And wasn't it the oddest coincidence, to have a dream depicting the horrific death of one of her Seishi after all those weird warnings she'd received just yesterday?

   She was really starting to wonder if Suzaku might be trying to _tell_ her something…

   "Okay, then." KC straightened her shoulders, a tight smile twitching her mouth. "I can take a hint." She turned and marched to Brady's bed, shook her snoring friend roughly. "Get up," she urged. "Brady, _wake up_ already!"

   "Huh? Whazzit?" Brady jerked awake and sat up, scrubbing at her eyes. "Wha's wrong?" she slurred, blinking sleepily.

   "Nothing. It's fine." KC switched on the bedside lamp. "But I gotta go. Now."

   Brady stared at her. "Go," she repeated blankly.

   "Yes. Go."

   "Go _where_? The bathroom?"

   KC rolled her eyes. "Back to _Konan_ ," she elaborated, impatient. "I had a dream. Only I don't think it was a dream so much as a really bad premonition or something and if I don't get back Hotohori could end up _dead_ and then there goes the univer _mph_!" Her babbling cut off when a pillow abruptly hit her in the face.

   Brady's confusion had melted into a grouchy scowl. "It's three o'clock in the freakin' morning," she growled. "We just got to bed like an _hour_ ago. Neither of us is going _anywhere_ except back to sleep."

   KC stared at her. "Did you not hear a word I just said?"

   "It was a _dream_ ," Brady groaned, flopping back into her pillows. "I told you not to drink the eggnog. Uncle Jack always spikes it with _way_ too much rum."

   "I didn't drink the eggnog," KC protested, scowling. "I'm not kidding either! Hotohori's gonna be killed if I don't get back and warn him!"

   Brady scrubbed her hands over her face. "Okay. When and how is Hotohori going to die?" she asked, apparently deciding to play along.

   KC hesitated, suddenly not so sure she wanted to discuss it. "Um, I think i-it happens on his … wedding night," she mumbled, her cheeks heating in a dark flush.

   Brady blinked at her. "He's _engaged_? You never told us _that._ "

   "He's not engaged!" KC protested. "Well … not yet. But apparently he's gonna get engaged at some point!"

   "His wedding night…" Brady's jaw suddenly dropped. "Does that mean he was—?" The incredulous look on her face made KC blush even harder and she burst into giggles. "Dang! So you had to watch Hotohottie getting it on with some other chick?"

   "Shut up! It wasn't like that," KC grumbled.

   "Yeah? Then what was it like?" Brady tossed her a catty grin. "Or maybe _you_ were the one in bed with him?" When KC proceeded to blush an entirely new shade of red, she fell back into the pillows, clutching her sides. "I'm totally right, aren't I?" she crowed through her giggles. "You were totally screwing the emperor!"

   KC whapped her with a pillow. "It wasn't me!" she snapped. "Why the hell would I stab my own Seishi in the heart?"

   "Dang." Brady managed to calm down, wiping tears from her eyes. "You stabbed him in the middle of sex? Brutal."

   "His _wife_ stabbed him. Not me," KC gritted. She was seriously starting to regret ever bringing up the subject; Brady would torment her for _months_ about this, she just _knew_ it.

   "Okay, okay. Not you." Still chuckling, Brady sat up again. "So, to recap, Hotohori's gonna get himself hitched. And this new wife who is _totally not you_ plans to stab him in the middle of getting his rocks off." At KC's stiff nod, she pursed her lips and continued, "And given that none of this has actually _happened_ yet, you can't wait until the sun rises to go off and warn him because…?"

   KC bit her lip. That was a pretty good point. After a moment, she gave a helpless shrug. "Call it a gut feeling?" she offered weakly.

   Brady's answering smile was a little too saccharine. "Kit-Kat, bestest friend of mine, you're like my very own sister," she began kindly. "Which is why I mean it in the _nicest_ possible way when I say that if you don't get your ass back to bed right now, I'm gonna _throw it out the damned window_."

   "Gee, thanks for the pep-talk," KC snorted. "You're a real pal." She turned on her heel and stalked back to her cot, flopping onto the squeaky mattress. Brady blew her a sarcastic kiss and yanked her covers over her head.

   Normally, KC had no problem sleeping on the cot, but tonight she just couldn't get comfortable. She turned one way. Then another. Laid on her back. Flipped over onto her stomach. She even tried counting sheep in her mind, which somehow turned into little fire-winged birds that seemed to glare with disapproving eyes as they flitted over her head. She groaned and shifted around on the squeaky cot to flop onto her back again. Then squawked and nearly fell straight off in surprise when a butterfly-shaped cushion flew out of nowhere and nailed her in the face.

   " _Go to sleep!_ " Brady roared before flinging herself back into the pillows again.

   KC glared and hurled the cushion with all her might back at Brady's head. This, of course, did nothing but earn her a deadly glare that made her hunker down beneath the covers as Brady pointedly switched off the bedside lamp. She lay there and pouted up at the ceiling. Really, she'd almost forgotten what an absolute _bear_ Brady could be when she didn't get her beauty sleep. She could give Nuriko a run for his money!

   After a few more minutes of trying—and failing—to relax, KC sighed heavily and sat up, cringing when the cot springs squealed in protest. Sleep was impossible. The longer she ignored the sense of urgency that continued to hammer away at her nerves, the worse it seemed to grow. She couldn't just lay there, she had to get up and _do_ something, before she started screaming in frustration. So, she finally gave up and slid off the cot, knee-walked to her overnight bag in the corner and pulled out its contents until she located the book at the bottom.

   She held it for a few moments, considering. She could go back right now. Just open the cover and let it suck her in like before. Brady would find it in the morning and figure it out, right? Assuming the light show didn't wake her up immediately. It wouldn't be a _complete_ diversion from the plan, just a slight hiccup, is all. Her friends would understand. Maybe. Possibly. Once they got over being pissed at her for going off without so much as a fare-thee-well to either of them.

   KC chewed her lip. Of course, there _was_ the problem of all her clothes and supplies being stuck out in the Clubhouse. Now she _really_ wished she'd just hidden the duffel in the closet. She didn't relish the thought of going out there in the middle of the night to fetch it. Temps had dropped to well below freezing by this point. She huffed an annoyed sigh and stuffed everything back into the bag, tiptoed to the bathroom to collect her toiletries, then risked turning on the desk lamp so she could write a short note on a Post-it.

   She stuck it on the bathroom mirror, where Brady would be sure to find it, then dug a pair of heavy socks out of her bag and pulled them on. She considered changing from her flannel pajamas into jeans but decided it wasn't worth the risk of disturbing her grouchy friend again. She could change once she got back to Konan. Hopefully, Suzaku would drop her off right inside her own room this time, now that she had one. So she pulled on her boots and coat, grabbed her bag and slipped out of the bedroom.

   The house was dark and silent and every creak of the wooden floorboards made her freeze in her tracks as she walked the halls. She had no idea how she would explain herself if someone poked their head out a door and caught her. Maybe she could pretend she was sleepwalking, except she wasn't that good an actress. Still, she didn't need to worry, right? Nobody sane would be up at this time of night, anyway.

   Of course, _that_ theory was instantly shot to hell when, as she passed the man cave, a sudden burst of noise nearly made her scream in fright. Laughter and the sharp clack of striking pool balls drifted from the room and she leaned against the wall beside the cracked-open door with a hand pressed over her racing heart. So much for sanity. Didn't Brady's relatives ever _sleep_? She risked a peek through the crack to find several of the uncles engaged in a pool match, while their significant others made themselves comfortable on the couch, engaged with a late-night chick flick.

   Nicolai was also there, leaned across the pool table to take a shot, and KC instantly jumped away from the door and pressed against the wall again. That guy had an uncanny knack for sensing when he was being watched. At least when he was being watched by _her_. He definitely wouldn't believe any flimsy excuse she came up with if he caught her out there.

   "Any beer left in the fridge?" one of the aunts called.

   "Could use some munchies, too," another added. "Someone be a gentleman and go check the pantry?"

   "We're in the middle of a game," came the immediate protests. "Can't you get it yourself?"

   "Sorry, pal. Guys lost the last round. You're the gophers for a change." A round of female affirmation made the men grumble.

   "I'll go," Nicolai volunteered. "I need a smoke, anyway."

   KC yipped and scampered down the hall, boots clomping loudly on the wooden floors. Even the thin runner carpets failed to muffle the noise and she winced. So much for stealth. She reached the mudroom and hastily closed the door behind her, stepped out onto the porch and paused to survey the silent yard.

   The snow had stopped falling several hours ago, but her former path had been all but buried under a coat of fresh powder. Only faint indents marked the trail she'd made through the otherwise pristine landscape. The sky was clear and the nearly-full moon caused the snow to glitter. The very air seemed to crackle with cold and KC could feel her face and hands already going numb. Her pajama pants weren't nearly thick enough to protect her legs from the frigid air. She probably should have changed clothes after all, especially since she was _technically_ still recovering from the illness that had driven Hotohori to send her home to begin with.

   Even more worrisome, nothing stood between her and the copse of overgrown bushes and trees that hid the Clubhouse except the wide expanse of the lawn. Against all that snow, she'd stick out like a sore thumb. Nick would _definitely_ notice her if he stepped out there to smoke. No help for it; she was gonna have to book it.

   "Coldcoldcoldcoldcold!" she chanted as she hopped down the steps and trudged as fast as possible toward the Clubhouse. The snow she kicked up instantly filled her boots and soaked into her pants as she hopped her way through the deep blanket. It wasn't long before her entire body started prickling, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.

   She'd gotten about halfway across the yard when bright light suddenly flooded the area around her. She yelped and instinctively hit the deck, trying to burrow into the snow. She lay there for a good minute, her coat and pants soaking up freezing moisture, before the light flicked off again. She cautiously raised her head and, seeing nothing suspicious but her own drunkenly-skewed trail leading from the house, hastily got to her feet to keep moving.

   The light instantly snapped back on and she whirled around, fully expecting to find Nicolai on the porch. Nobody was there. And it was then that she belatedly recalled the automatic floodlights recently installed around the grounds, to ward off potential intruders. She must have triggered the sensors, which wouldn't have been an issue if the brilliant lights weren't also shining into the windows of the house. If _that_ didn't get someone's attention, nothing would.

   This simple plan of hers was starting to feel more like Mission Impossible. Maybe she should just give up and wait until morning, after all.

   On the other hand, she'd already come this far and she hadn't just thoroughly frozen herself for nothing, darn it! If she didn't end up with one mother of a head cold after all _this_ , she'd eat her bag!

   Muttering under her breath, KC determinedly picked up the pace. Her entire body prickled and stung and she wondered how long it took for hypothermia to set in. She was pretty sure she had a good start on it already. Her fingers felt good and frostbitten, already turned blue, and she mentally kicked herself for not having the foresight to also pull on the gloves stuffed in her coat pockets. Fat lot of good they'd do her _now_ , but she fumbled to pull the damp gloves on, anyway.

 _Finally_ she reached the Clubhouse and managed to stumble up its rickety steps on shaky, numbed legs, nearly fell through the door and promptly tripped over the heavy duffel bag she'd left sitting directly in front of it.

   "Ow," she complained, sneezed loudly into the cloud of stirred-up dust and staggered to her feet. Hopefully, she didn't have anything too fragile packed in that bag. It was probably good and squashed now. She took a few steadying breaths, hefted the heavy duffel over her shoulder and slung the smaller bag cross-body over the opposite, nearly staggering under the weight. When she felt reasonably balanced, she managed to unzip the overnight bag and pulled out The Universe of the Four Gods.

   She hesitated as a sudden bout of apprehension swamped her. This was it _,_ she realized. She was about to actually open the book and return to that universe. Was she making the right decision? To willingly go back to a completely foreign world for an untold period of time wherein anything could happen? She could get hurt. She could get _killed_. She could die and disappear and nobody would ever know what had happened to her. Well, Brady and Kimiko might know where she was, but how would they know if she was safe? What could they do to help her, anyway? It wasn't as if they could drag her home and who would even believe them if they told anyone? Suddenly, Kimiko's warnings made a lot more sense and KC felt her resolve wavering.

   She bit her lip and closed her eyes, forced herself to remember her nightmare. The recollection made her heart start to pound and her cheeks burn, for entirely different reasons. Because as horrific as the ending had been, the _beginning_ of that dream…

   She shook off the memories and forced herself to think only of the warning. If she _didn't_ go back, Hotohori could end up dying and how could she live with herself if she let that happen? He was important to her. Really important. She _liked_ him and the idea of him getting married sent an uncomfortable lurch through her stomach every time she thought of it. So she promptly decided _not_ to think of it.

   She focused instead on her wish. The one that would give her a real chance to fix her wrecked home life. She'd be a _moron_ to pass that up. If it meant her family would be whole again, if her father would come home, then wasn't the slim chance that she might die _completely_ worth the risk?

   Determination and spirits renewed, KC squared her shoulders, took another fortifying breath and flipped open the cover of the book.

   The red light instantly engulfed her, covered her in soothing heat that slowly warmed her freezing body. The walls, the floor … everything began to fade, just like it had before, and the familiar shrieks and flapping of wings greeted her ears. She closed her eyes against the disorientation as the red light swallowed her up and carried her away through the swirling vortex.

   And she never once noticed the dark figure that peered in through the cracked window, camera poised, forgotten, as the world disappeared around her.

 


	8. How to Kidnap a Priestess

   "What happened to dropping me off in my own room, huh?"

   KC stared around in dismay, taking in the all-too-familiar sight of one of Konan's many narrow side-streets. She didn't _think_ it was the same one she'd landed in the first time around, but she couldn't really be sure. It looked pretty similar. She'd woken up near the entrance, sprawled out on the ground on top of her bags, with a painful crick in her neck. Talk about déjà vu. She sat up with a grimace and spared a dark glance to the sky. "This your idea of a _joke_ , you damned peacock?" she growled. "You couldn't have dropped me in the middle of the _palace_? There'd better be a good reason for this!"

   Suzaku, of course, remained silent as ever, but a well-dressed man who happened to be passing by the alley overheard her rant and promptly picked up his pace, muttering about crazy street people.

   Blushing faintly, KC climbed to her feet and brushed off her still-damp clothes. At least she wasn't freezing anymore, but now she felt a little too warm. Konan's mild weather wasn't exactly suitable for winter coats, so she pulled off her gloves and stuffed them back into her pockets, relieved to find that her fingers looked much better.

   She dropped the overnight bag and began to pull off her coat, paused in horrified recollection that, yes, she was _still_ in her red-and-green plaid flannel pajamas, without even a bra on or anything! She was pretty sure her loose hair was a tangled mess, as she hadn't bothered to brush it before leaving. And her trip through the vortex would've blown it all askew, anyway.

   Crazy person, _indeed_.

   Groaning, she shrugged the coat back on—a peacock-blue number that clashed _horribly_ with her pants—picked up the bags, stepped out of the alley and looked around to get her bearings. She was still unfamiliar with the city and wished she'd talked Tamahome into showing her around at some point, but the palace was a majestic and welcome sight that loomed well above every other building. The main thoroughfare likely led straight to it, so if she just followed the road, she'd be there in no time.

   She hoped.

   Hitching the heavy bags, KC pointed herself in the direction of the palace and started off. She walked quickly, aware that her strange appearance was drawing attention. There seemed to be less people in the streets than usual, but the ones there had begun to stare and whisper amongst themselves and she wasn't sure she liked that, given what had happened after her first landing. The last thing she wanted was to be chased through the city by slave traders again. Or arrested and tossed into a dank dungeon cell like before.

   Maybe she ought to find a place to duck into and change her clothes, after all. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt would be a lot less conspicuous than her PJs. That would probably mean leaving the main road for the side-streets, an idea that didn't thrill her, but it wasn't like she could knock on someone's door and ask to borrow their bathroom.

   She had almost talked herself into turning down the next alley to hunt for an abandoned building or something when a sudden shout made her falter in her tracks.

   "You, there! You're her, aren't you?"

   She glanced behind her at the silk-draped merchant's stall she'd just passed. The owner leaned comically far out over the stand in order to get a better look at her, while the customer he'd been serving gawped openly. The length of expensive-looking fabric she'd been examining dangled, forgotten, from her hand.

   KC glanced around, uneasy. "Um … you mean me?"

   "Yes!" The merchant gestured for her to approach. "Aren't you the Suzaku Priestess?"

   "She is!" the woman answered, nodding emphatically. The fabric slipped fully from her grasp and she scrambled to catch it, shoved it at the merchants chest. "I saw her in the palace once! I'm certain it's her."

   "Bah! That was months ago." The merchant dismissed her claim with a wave. "You think every young woman passing through is the Priestess and you haven't been right once!"

   "Well, how would you describe that odd appearance? Her hair and those ugly clothes! She doesn't look like a local to _me_ ," the woman huffed, completely missing the insulted glare KC leveled at her. The merchant didn't and, with a smirk, began to berate the woman for her rudeness.

   They must be married or related or something, KC decided as she slowly edged away. No salesman in his right mind would speak to a customer that way. She'd never held a job but even _she_ knew that much.

   She continued to inch away as the argument began to heat up. People were _definitely_ taking notice now, wandering over to see what the fuss was about. Right. Time for a strategic retreat, before she inadvertently caused another riot or something. Hotohori might not be so forgiving a second time.

   There! She spotted an opening between the same rich-looking gentleman who'd passed her earlier and a woman laden down with baskets and what looked like laundry bags. KC used the opportunity and the confusion generated by the growing crowd to slip between the pair and make her escape.

   She almost did it, too, except a dark, hooded figure suddenly lunged at her from out of nowhere and slapped a hand over her mouth, effectively cutting off her squeal of shock.

   She immediately began to struggle, but the thin, hard arm that had snagged her around the waist felt like a steel band, pinning one arm against her side as her captor dragged her off the main road and between two buildings, out of view of the crowd.

   She began to panic. It was like the bandits all over again, only now there were no Seishi around to save her ass. It seemed like she was gonna have to save it, herself. Her other arm was still free and she used the sudden adrenaline rush to her advantage, swung up and back with all of her strength. She grunted with vicious satisfaction when her fist connected solidly with the man's head—hopefully she'd just given him one hell of a shiner—and was rewarded with a pained yelp as the arm around her waist instantly loosened.

   She took the opportunity and wrenched herself free, gripped her overnight bag with both hands and swung it at his head, nearly overbalancing herself in the process. Another high-pitched squeal and the man stumbled back and landed right on his ass, the hood falling away from his face.

   KC was already running before her brain abruptly caught up to her eyeballs and she skidded to a halt, turned back to gape at the familiar shock of bright purple hair and red-violet eyes that glared back at her. " _N-Nuriko?_ " she sputtered.

   "That's a fine greeting for a friend," the Seishi spat. "I think you broke my nose!" He probed delicately around the abused cartilage. The beginning of a bruise had already started to darken the pale skin beneath his left eye.

   KC breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down now that the scare was over. "Stop exaggerating," she grumbled. "It's not even bleeding. And what the hell did you _expect_ , jumping out of nowhere and dragging me into an alley like that? You scared the shit outta me!"

   "Things were getting a little out of control. I was trying to _help_ ," he sniffed.

   "By making me think I was being kidnapped? _Again_?"

   Nuiko blinked. "Oh. Never thought of that."

   KC threw her bag at him.

   He caught it with a laugh. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I really wasn't thinking of anything but getting you out of here before too many people saw you. The rumors are already halfway across the city. Talk about terrible timing!"

   She huffed. "Geez, can't you people make up your minds? First, you insist I come back _right away_ 'cause _duty_ and _saving the world_ and all that crap. Then, when I actually _do_ , you act like it's some big inconvenience and why are you _glaring_ at me like that?"

   Nuriko merely narrowed his eyes further. "Right away?" he parroted.

   "Uh, yeah. I think I did a pretty good job of getting back here in a reasonable amount of time," she replied, defensive.

   "You consider _three months_ to be _reasonable_?"

   Now it was her turn to blink. "Three _days_ ," she corrected.

   He replied with a slow shake of his head. "Noooo, you've been gone nearly three _months_."

   KC gaped at him as the duffel slid from her limp shoulder. She followed it, dropped to her haunches and buried her fingers into her hair as a horrible, niggling suspicion crept over her.

   "Whoa! Are you okay?" Nuriko darted forward to steady her, expression concerned. "You gonna be sick or something?"

   She just might, the way she felt right then. "Something's seriously off here," she muttered, trying to wrap her brain around the anomaly. "I was here for a month, right?" At his nod, she continued, "But when I got home again only a few hours had passed in my world. I came back the same day I left. I never had to explain to anyone where I'd been because it was like I was never gone!"

   Nuriko's brow furrowed. "And that didn't make you a little suspicious?"

   She peeked up at him. "Well, I just thought maybe Taiitsukun had sent me back in time or something, to save me the trouble of coming up with a believable excuse."

   "Time-travel?" He looked skeptical. "That seems a little … far-fetched, don't you think?"

   "About as far-fetched as getting sucked through a magical portal and dumped in a _completely different dimension._ " She leveled her best deadpan stare at him.

   "Ah." He blinked. "Well, when you put it like _that_ …"

   "Doesn't matter. I was obviously wrong." She sighed heavily, shoulders slumped. "If it was time-travel, then why'd I get dropped off _now_? Why not three months ago?"

   "So, what other explanation is there?"

   She shrugged. "Beats me. Kimiko's the sci-fi geek. She'd probably say it has something to do with natural gapping in the space/time continuum, so like an entire month passes here for every one day at home. Or something. Wish I'd thought to ask her about it. I'm just glad I came back earlier than originally planned. Who knows how much more time would've passed if I'd waited!"

   Nuriko pursed his lips and regarded her with some amusement. "I only understood about _half_ of what you just said, but don't worry about it, okay? It isn't as if you knew this would happen. The important thing is that you came back. You kept your promise, even if it was delayed a bit. I'm proud of you."

   KC eyeballed him, suspicious. "You're being surprisingly understanding about all this."

   "What?" He plastered on his best affronted expression. "I can be nice!" At her disbelieving glance, he added, with utmost innocence, "When I choose to…"

   She snorted, hopped to her feet and gathered her bags. When he gallantly took the largest one and slung it easily over his shoulder, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, _now_ you're just freaking me out. Did someone replace you with a Pod Person while I was gone?"

   "Shush," he sniffed, rolled his eyes and turned away to stalk down the alley. But not before she noted the faint blush staining his cheeks. "So did you get to see your family while you were at home?" he asked.

   "Yeah…" she replied slowly.

   "And?"

   "And I didn't tell my mom where I was going, if that's what you're asking." She pulled a face. "She'd totally flip out. Forbid me to go, yadda yadda…"

   "What about your father?"

   "My dad…" She frowned. "Is not really in the picture. Don't worry about him."

   Nuriko shot her a questioning glance but she averted her gaze. He sighed. "So in other words, you're in the same situation now as you were then. With nobody knowing where you are."

   "Not _exactly_. I did tell my best friends what had happened. Well, it was more like they noticed all these little changes and dragged the truth out of me. I had to convince them, of course, but I had enough proof. They're going to help cover for me so I can do what I have to and get home again."

   "What sort of changes?" Nuriko asked, curious. He eyed her. "You look the same to me."

   "Well, I guess my body's been keeping sync with this world while I'm here. It's the middle of winter in my world, but I came home with a tan I didn't have before. And my hair grew. And I lost weight from all that traveling we did and being sick. To them, all this happened overnight. They noticed."

   "Hmmm. But your own mother didn't?"

   She shrugged. "Well … maybe. But Mom works late hours, usually six days a week. She's really busy, so we don't see each other a lot. If she did notice, she probably thought it was something that happened progressively."

   "Why does she work so much?" Nuriko looked horrified at the idea. "Doesn't your father work or provide for you?"

   KC's jaw clenched. "Like I said, he's not in the picture. Change of subject, please."

   Nuriko looked her over. "All right. Speaking of being sick, did you see a physician when you were home? How's your illness?"

   "I didn't see a doctor but don't worry, I've got plenty of medicine with me. It's just a head cold and the pills I'm taking are way stronger than anything you have here. I'll be good as new in no time," she assured him.

   "Willow bark tea is a perfectly good remedy," Nuriko sniffed. "It's been used for centuries without complaint."

   " _That's_ only because nobody invented ibuprofen yet," she replied with a smirk.

   He didn't deign to reply, merely continued walking, leading her along back alleys and actively avoiding the main roads as she obediently followed. After a few minutes, something began to feel … _off_ about the direction they were traveling. KC slowed her steps as she attempted to get her bearings a bit. And then she realized the problem.

   "Hey!" she yelped, stopping dead in her tracks. "This isn't the way to the palace! It's the other direction!"

   Nuriko cast a droll glance over his shoulder. "Very observant of you. We're not _going_ to the palace."

   "What? Why not?"

   " _Because_ we are leaving the city."

   " _What?_ " KC gaped stupidly at his back. " _Why?_ "

   "Well, isn't it obvious, you silly mouse?" Nuriko turned to grace her with a saccharine smile that sent an involuntary shiver up her spine. "You're being kidnapped!"


	9. Chapter Nine: "Dude Looks Like a ... Dude?!"

   A sharp, stinging pain in Brady's right cheek startled her out of a deep slumber, just as a second pain bloomed in the center of her forehead. She jerked fully awake with a yelp and scrambled to her knees, ready to blast KC into next year for disturbing her beauty sleep _again_.

   She instead found Kimiko at the foot of her bed, a wooden rubber-band shooter in one hand and a _very_ disapproving scowl on her face. Both of the clothespins on the shooter were empty.

   Brady blinked up at her. "You're early." Then she blinked again. "Did you just _shoot_ me with that thing?"

   "The twins were kind enough to lend it to me." Kimiko tossed it onto the bed with a smirk. "And _you're_ late. You should have been up and dressed by now. Also, _where the hell is KC_?"

   Brady glanced at the abandoned cot. She shrugged. "Probably the bathroom."

   "Uh-huh, no. Already looked. Didn't find KC. _Or_ any of her things. But I did find _this_." Kimiko held out a finger from which a pink sticky note dangled.

   Brady squinted and read, "'Had to get back to Konan ASAP. I'm fine. Stick to the plan…' That bonehead!" She huffed. "I told her she was overreacting!"

   Kimiko's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

   Brady gulped. When Kimi used _that_ tone it was best for all parties involved to listen. "She woke me up in the middle of the freakin' night babbling about some bizarre dream she had. She kept insisting that Hotohottie guy was gonna bite it if she didn't go back to warn him. I _told_ her to go back to bed."

   "And you expected her to listen?"

   "Well … _yeah_!" Brady scowled. "It's _freezing_ out there! I sure wasn't gonna go crawling through a blizzard in the middle of the night over a stupid nightmare. I didn't think she'd be nuts enough to do it, either!"

   Kimiko sighed. "Clearly, you've forgotten who we're dealing with."

   "So now what do we do?"

   "What she says. Stick to the plan. Which means get your lazy ass out of bed, get dressed and get out to the Clubhouse before anyone comes hunting for us. It's almost ten o'clock!"

   Brady pulled a face. "Can't we at least get breakfast first?"

* * *

   "Why does the kitchen look like a tornado blew through it?" Kimiko surveyed the mess with slight dismay. Overturned boxes of cereal littered the counter, a milk carton had been tipped on its side, contents spread over the table and onto the floor. It had apparently been there awhile; a faint odor of soured milk permeated the air, buried under the more prominent smell of burnt toast. The fridge door hung half-open. Three jars of jelly and a large tub of melting butter sat on the counter beside it. "Looks like the kids helped themselves to breakfast," she added dryly.

   "Mom's gonna shit a brick when she sees this mess," Brady grumbled. "Where's Reagan?"

   "Forget Reagan. Where are the _adults_?"

   "Probably still sleeping off their hangovers."

   "…You do realize your family has a _problem_ , right?"

   Brady snorted. "Golly, it completely escaped my attention before now! Thanks ever so for _stating the obvious_."

   "Okay, okay! No need to get snippy." Kimiko patted her arm soothingly. "Come on, we'd at least better check and make sure your cousins are okay."

   "Should be easy enough to find them. Just follow the trail of burnt crumbs."

   They found the kids in the living room again, sprawled in front of the TV with their food, glued to the show currently airing. Reagan wasn't with them.

   "She was supposed to watch the Brat Brigade today! I'm gonna kill her!" Brady growled.

   Kimiko sighed. "Kill her later. We'd better make ourselves scarce before we get roped into babysitting, instead. I didn't sign up for that!"

   Needless to say, Kimiko wasn't a big fan of children.

   They hastily made their way back to the kitchen. Brady swiped a few packs of Pop Tarts and a box of Fruit Loops from the pantry. Kimiko helped herself to the rest of the lukewarm coffee, pouring it into a thermos.

   "You know, that's probably been sitting on the warmer since yesterday." Brady wrinkled her nose when she received a shrug in reply.

   They gathered their goodies and started for the back door, only to nearly run straight into Nicholai as he came in from the other side. They all jumped away from each other, equally startled to find someone in the way, although Nicolai regained his composure first and leveled them with a cool, searching gaze. "In a bit of a hurry?"

   "Big study session. Gotta get started," Brady mumbled as she edged around his large body.

   He stood aside to let them through, before idly observing, "You appear to be missing a friend."

   "She's already in the Clubhouse. Don't disturb us," Brady snapped. Nicolai quirked a brow and smirked as he raised his hands in a mock-show of surrender. Brady grabbed Kimiko by the coat lapel and nearly dragged her down the icy steps. "Man, what a creeper," she muttered as they trudged through the snow.

   Kimiko pursed her lips and glanced over her shoulder. "Why does it feel like he knows something we don't?"

   "That's just his usual holier-than-thou expression. You get used to it."

   Kimiko hummed, unconvinced. She seemed distracted, studying the ground ahead of them. After awhile, she paused and pointed. "There are two trails here," she said. "You can see they kind of overlap, but two people came out here recently."

   Brady slid her a glance. "And that's important because…?"

   "Well, we can safely assume that one of them belongs to KC."

   "Yeah, and?"

   "Who does the other one belong to?"

   Brady cocked her head, looking at the trails in the snow with renewed interest. "Huh. Good question. Ya think Nick was out here snooping around? He might've seen KC, I dunno, zap off or whatever."

   "Mmmm… Maybe." Kimiko didn't seem too certain about that. "Come on, let's get to the building before we freeze. You guys _did_ put a kerosene heater or something out there, right?"

   "Um…"

   "Brady!"

* * *

   "You know, the joke wasn't _that_ funny. You can stop laughing _any day_ now."

   Nuriko quieted his chuckles and put on his most serious expression, glanced back over his shoulder to face a sulking KC … and promptly burst into hysterical guffaws all over again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't help it!" he gasped through his laughter when she growled. "It's just … that _face_!"

   "It wasn't funny. You scared the crap outta me," she complained.

   "You only say that because you didn't see your expression." Nuriko did his best to imitate it, before collapsing into yet another bout of laughter, pounding his fist against the nearest wall hard enough to crack it.

   KC's expression darkened further as she stalked up to him and promptly dropped her bag on his head.

   Normally, _that_ would've had him roaring bloody murder at her, but now it didn't even phase him.

   " _Nurikoooo!_ Come _oooooonnn_!" she whined, stamping her foot. "I don't have time to waste standing around watching you make an ass out of yourself! I'm going to the palace with or without you!" And she turned around to do exactly that, only to be brought up short by her Seishi's tight grip on her coat.

   "Okay, okay. I'm done," he promised, even as a few stray snickers escaped. "Look, I'm sorry about the kidnapping joke, but I wasn't kidding when I said I'm not taking you to the palace. We're leaving the city."

   "But why?" KC unsuccessfully attempted to free her coat. "I gotta get to the palace, I have to warn Hotohori!"

   "About what?" Nuriko asked curiously as he straightened and picked up the bags again.

   "Uh … I had a dream," KC hedged. "I think it was a premonition or something. Hotohori's life might be in danger. I gotta let him know!"

   "His Majesty's life is _always_ in danger. He's the emperor. It kind of comes with the territory," Nuriko pointed out dryly.

   "Yeah, but—"

   "Look, I'm not saying your dream isn't important, but right now we have more serious matters." He blew out a long breath. "I told you that your return was bad timing because we happen to be hosting an official delegation from Kutou. They're holed up in the palace, which means His Majesty doesn't want you anywhere _near_ it right now."

   "Kutou?" KC actually _felt_ the blood drain from her head. "Wh-what do they want?"

   He shrugged. "One can only assume … you." When she blanched further and almost fell backward, he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "More precisely, they're looking to find out whether the rumors of your existence are true. Under the guise of negotiating peace treaties, of course, which we all know is load of horse shit. They're really good at disguising the fact, but His Majesty and I suspect that at least one member of the delegation is a Seishi."

   KC frowned, confused. "A Suzaku Seishi?"

   "Nope. Seiryuu."

   "But… Wait, why would a Seiryuu Seishi come _here_?"

   He shrugged again. "Just because they haven't found their Priestess yet doesn't mean the Seishi don't exist. They're powerful warriors and the Kutou emperor tends to keep his warriors close."

   KC slumped. "That makes sense, I guess…"

   "Anyway, they've been here about two weeks and every subtle 'get lost' hint is being ignored. His Majesty's hands are tied. He can't just kick them out; it would _definitely_ be taken as an insult. We were hoping they'd give up and leave on their own when you failed to make an appearance."

   KC winced. "Guess I sorta blew that," she muttered. "At least now I know why Suzaku dropped me in the middle of the city instead of the palace."

   Nuriko snorted. "Not that it did any good. His Majesty and I _felt_ you arrive. You lit up our senses like a firework and if one of our guests really _is_ a Seishi, there's a good chance they picked up on it, too."

   KC shuddered. "So, this mean I'm on the lam now or something?"

   He looked at her blankly. "It means you're coming with me and we're leaving the city."

   "But…" KC chewed her lip. "I can't just leave. I _have_ to talk to Hotohori! If I've really been gone three months he _must_ think I abandoned him."

   Nuriko raised an eyebrow. "'Him'?" he repeated slyly.

   She blushed. "W-well, him and Konan. And you. And Tamahome," she amended hastily.

   He hummed, a smirk playing about his lips. "Well, as I said, going to the palace _now_ is grounds for imminent disaster. If they didn't know you were here before, they definitely will now. And if ever they had an opportunity to try and kill you…" He let the sentence trail off with a knowing nod, satisfied to see her blanch. "It's just too dangerous right now. The unrest between Konan and Kutou is growing and if they know for certain you've returned, that might be enough to spark a war. Until the rest of our Seishi are gathered, we can't risk that happening or Konan will be wiped out."

   "Is Kutou really that strong?" KC whispered, huddling into her coat.

   "Strong and power hungry."

   "Then why haven't they attacked Konan already?"

   "There was never a rush, I suppose. But if the emperor believes we've gained the ability to summon Suzaku and permanently bind Kutou's power, he'll not risk letting his last chance to conquer us slip away. He'll raize Konan to the ground searching for you."

   KC shivered and kicked at a stray rock. "I'm starting to regret coming back," she grumbled. "I was just supposed to finish this whole summoning thing and go home. I didn't think I'd get caught in the middle of a damned _war_."

   "You haven't yet. And as long as we get out of here it won't come to that. But we really need to go now." Nuriko paused to give her a critical once-over. "Although, couldn't you have worn something a little less … eye-catching? We're trying to aim for sneaky, here."

   KC huffed. "Oh, sorry for not dressing for the occasion. Tell me, what _does_ one wear when one's _running for their life_ around here?"

   Nuriko rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Take off the outer garment. You can wear my cloak. It should be long enough to cover … whatever it is you're wearing."

   "Pajamas. I'll have you know it was the middle of the friggin' night when I came back here," she huffed as she complied, shoving her coat into the duffle. When she looked up again, Nuriko had removed his cloak and was holding it out to her.

   Her jaw dropped in shock. "Y-you're a _guy_!" she yelped.

   He blinked. "Very astute of you." His droll expression didn't change as he shook the cloak impatiently at her. "Put it on."

   She ignored him, too busy gawping at the sight of the plain tan pants he wore under a long, belted tunic of black silk, trimmed in red and gold. Similar to Tamahome's usual outfits, although of much finer quality. And most shocking of all…

   "What happened to your _hair_?" she gasped, noticing for the first time that the luxurious purple mane was _gone_ , cut to the nape of his neck, the shorn ends curling softly over his collar.

   "Oh. That." A flash of irritation crossed Nuriko's face as he self-consciously fingered the short locks. "Unfortunately, it wasn't by _my_ choice. Tamahome and I were sparring one day and he got in a lucky hit. My poor hair suffered the brunt of the blow." His smile turned slightly evil. "Don't worry. I had my revenge."

   KC winced. " _Please_ tell me you didn't kill him," she whimpered, already imagining her dreams of getting home again fluttering away…

   He snorted. "As tempting as that idea is, Tama is alive and well. Ironically, not long after our match he decided it would be an _excellent_ time to visit home." That evil smile was starting to give her the willies. "He's been in his village for the past month, looking after his family. _We_ are going to go and fetch him. He left before the delegation arrived so I need to update him on what's happening. And he'll be very glad to see _you_. Really, he's been practically _forlorn_ since you left."

   When KC still made no move to take the cloak, Nuriko stepped forward with another roll of his eyes and fastened it around her shoulders, then propelled her down the alley until she got the hint and started walking on her own.

   "So, um, how come you started dressing like a boy?" KC asked, just to break the silence. "I mean, don't get me wrong, boy is a _really_ good look on you—" She completely missed the surprise that flickered momentarily across Nuriko's face. "—but I'm surprised to see you like that, I guess. I thought you _liked_ being a girl."

   "I _do_ like being a girl," he sniffed. "But from a practical standpoint, floor-length robes and elaborate hairstyles aren't exactly sensible attire on a battlefield. And since I'm outed and no longer in the harem, there's really no point in keeping up the charade, is there? Besides, it's like you said." He offered his most charming grin. "'Boy' looks very good on me."

   KC tried hard not to blush at that smile, which transformed his entire face and made her realize belatedly just how handsome he really was. "Hotohori wears it better," she mumbled, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. She half-expected Nuriko to get huffy at her, but he just laughed and kept walking, which was even more disconcerting. What had happened to the pissy viper she'd left only three days … er … _months_ ago?

   Maybe he really _had_ been replaced by a Pod Person…

   They navigated through several more back streets before coming upon a certain building on the fringe edges of town that had definitely seen better days. When they stepped inside the dank, musty room, KC realized it was an abandoned stable. Well, mostly abandoned. A large brown horse donned in gleaming tack of the royal palace stood in one of the stalls, munching contentedly on moldy-looking hay.

   Nuriko immediately set about lashing KC's packs to the back of the saddle, which already held two of his own. "Okay, hop on," he said as he tightened the last knot and nodded at KC.

   She graced him with a blank stare. "Uh, I don't think so."

   He frowned. "Now isn't the time to be obstinate. Get on," he commanded.

   "I can't ride a horse, remember?"

   "Yes, which is why you're riding with _me_ ," he pointed out with utmost patience.

   "Uh, yeah, no. That's not gonna work for me."

   His frown deepened. "Why not? You rode with His Majesty without any problems!"

   "That's different," she sniffed, crossing her arms.

   " _How_ is it different?"

   "Because I can trust _him_ not to shove me off the damned horse if I annoy him!" she snapped, glowering.

   Nuriko blinked. Then he snickered. "Oh. Well, that's an easy fix. Just don't do or say anything to annoy me and you should be just fine!"

   "…You are totally _not_ encouraging my confidence in you."

   He laughed again. "Fine. If it makes you feel better, you can just walk instead. It's an easy enough journey, just stay on the main road. You'll pass a few villages along the way but the one you want is Hakukou, in the province of Kusou-ken. I'm sure you'll get there just fine if you ask for directions. And I'll see you in three days."

   KC's face fell. "Three _days_?"

   "And two nights." Nuriko's grin was feral. "Assuming, of course, you survive camping in the forest with all the wild animals skulking around. And the bandits. Not to mention the stray Kutou assassin who might—"

   " _Okay!_ " KC tossed her hands up in surrender. " _Fine!_ You win! I'll ride the stupid horse!"

   Nuriko grinned broadly and patted her cheerfully on the shoulder. "I knew you'd see it my way. Well, daylight's wasting so let's get a move on. We've got a long ride ahead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, apparently getting plagiarized (again) is motivation enough for me to finally finish this chapter.  
> Yeah, just discovered the other day that a user on Wattpad has been taking my chapters from Book One and chopping them to use them in her own story. She changed the POV to first person and turned KC into a self-insert named after herself, but everything else - my words, my plot, my OCs - she blatantly took for her own. Needless to say, I was NOT happy.  
> Thankfully, Wattpad is way more on-the-ball dealing with plagiarists than fanfiction.net is, because they had the story blocked from public access the day after I reported it. Hopefully that's the end of that.
> 
> In the meantime, hope you enjoyed the chapter!


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